Protective coating for magnesium alloy

A phosphate–permanganate conversion coating was applied as the pretreatment process for AZ91D magnesium alloy substrate. Zn–Ni alloys were electrodeposited onto the treated AZ91D magnesium alloy from sulfate bath. The morphology and phase composition of the coatings were determined with X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The results reveal that the conversion rate depends on pH of solution and treatment time. Salt spray and the electrochemical polarization testing were applied to evaluate the corrosion performance of phosphate–permanganate and Zn–Ni coated alloys. It was found that Ni content in deposit is a function of current density and bath composition. Zn–13 wt.% Ni coating provides very good corrosion protective function to inner AZ91D magnesium alloy. Phosphate–permanganate treatment enhances the corrosion resistance of Zn–Ni coatings.