Relationship between heat treatment and corrosion behavior of Mg-15Y alloy

The corrosion behaviors of a basic type of RE-containing magnesium alloy Mg-15Y processed by different heat treatment methods were studied in 3.5% NaCl solution at room temperature. The amount of Mg24Y5 phase decreased with the extending of homogenization treatment. The time for achieving dissolving equilibrium of homogenization treatment at 525, 535, and 545 ° was 24, 20, and 8 h, respectively. The corrosion behavior of Mg-15Y alloy was studied using immersion, hydrogen evolution and electrochemical tests. The experimental results revealed that the heat treatment improved the corrosion resistance, and the corrosion resistance became better with increasing the heat treatment time. The corrosion mode of the alloy after heat treatment was microgalvanic corrosion consisting of the cathodic Mg24Y5 phase and anodic α-Mg matrix, and Mg-15Y exhibited favorable uniform corrosion mode in NaCl solution. The volume and increasing tendency of the homogenization treatment samples were both more than those of the as-cast sample.