Effect of Long-Period Stacking Ordered Phase Content on the Corrosion Resistance of As-Extruded Mg-Y-Zn-Mn Alloy

doi:10.11900/0412.1961.2024.00230

Acta Metall Sin

2025, Vol. 61

Issue (12): 1803-1816 DOI: 10.11900/0412.1961.2024.00230

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Effect of Long-Period Stacking Ordered Phase Content on the Corrosion Resistance of As-Extruded Mg-Y-Zn-Mn Alloy

JIANG Shujia¹, YANG Hongran¹, LI Chuanqiang¹(

), WANG Naiguang¹, WANG Desheng²^,³(

)

1 School of Materials and Energy, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
2 National Key Laboratory of Marine Corrosion and Protection, Luoyang Ship Material Research Institute, Luoyang 471023, China
3 School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China

Cite this article:

JIANG Shujia, YANG Hongran, LI Chuanqiang, WANG Naiguang, WANG Desheng. Effect of Long-Period Stacking Ordered Phase Content on the Corrosion Resistance of As-Extruded Mg-Y-Zn-Mn Alloy. Acta Metall Sin, 2025, 61(12): 1803-1816.

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Abstract

Mg alloys with high-strength and long-period stacking ordered (LPSO) phases are promising materials for lightweight structural applications because of their exceptional properties. However, corrosion remains a major challenge that limits their widespread use. The influence of the LPSO phase on the corrosion behavior of these alloys is substantial. On one hand, the microgalvanic effect between the LPSO phase and α-Mg matrix can accelerate corrosion. On the other hand, the LPSO phase may serve as an effective barrier that hinders the spread of corrosion in as-cast Mg alloys. Although the distribution of the LPSO phases considerably influences the corrosion resistance, the relationship between the LPSO phase content and the corrosion resistance remains poorly understood. In this work, a series of as-extruded Mg-xY-yZn-0.1Mn (x = 2, 4, and 8, mass fraction, %; x / y = 2) alloys with varying LPSO contents and morphologies were prepared, and their corrosion resistance were investigated in detail. Microstructural analyses were conducted using OM, SEM, and XRD. Corrosion resistance was evaluated through hydrogen evolution, mass loss, and electrochemical testing. Corrosion morphologies were examined using OM, SEM, confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), while the local corrosion potential was analyzed using scanning Kelvin probe force microscopy (SKPFM). The results showed that the alloys primarily consisted of α-Mg and LPSO phases. The volume fraction of LPSO increased with the elevation of Zn and Y contents, and the morphology of the LPSO phases varied among the alloys. In the Mg-2Y-1Zn-0.1Mn (WZ21M) alloy, which exhibited the lowest Zn and Y contents, the LPSO phases appeared as small blocks. In contrast, the Mg-4Y-2Zn-0.1Mn (WZ42M) alloy, with moderate Zn and Y contents, featured LPSO phases arranged zonally along the extrusion direction. The Mg-8Y-4Zn-0.1Mn (WZ84M) alloy, which exhibited the highest LPSO content, also exhibited a zonal distribution of LPSO phases but with a considerably reduced spacing between adjacent phases. Corrosion tests performed in a 3.5%NaCl (mass fraction) solution revealed that the corrosion resistance decreased in the following order: WZ84M < WZ42M < WZ21M. The WZ21M alloy, exhibited a smoother discharge process and a more negative discharge potential across different current densities, indicating higher corrosion resistance compared to the WZ42M and WZ84M alloys. Conversely, the WZ84M alloy, showed the poorest corrosion resistance due to the pronounced microgalvanic effect between the LPSO phase and α-Mg matrix. The deformed LPSO phases in the as-extruded alloy were less effective in inhibiting corrosion spread. The WZ21M alloy benefited from reduced microgalvanic effects, leading to improved corrosion resistance. Therefore, the corrosion resistance of as-extruded Mg-Y-Zn-Mn alloys is inversely related to the LPSO content, with higher LPSO contents generally resulting in decreased resistance due to intensified microgalvanic effects. Additionally, the morphology of the LPSO phase plays a critical role in determining corrosion resistance.

Key words: Mg-Y-Zn alloy LPSO phase microstructure corrosion resistance

Received: 10 July 2024

ZTFLH:

TG146.2

Fund: National Natural Science Foundation of China(52171067);Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province(2024A1515030065);International Science and Technology Cooperation of Guangdong Science and Technology Plan Project(2023A0505050152);Basic and Applied Basic Research Project of Guangzhou(2024A04J6299);Young Talent Support Project of Guangzhou Association for Science and Technology(QT2024-012)

Corresponding Authors: LI Chuanqiang, associate professor, Tel: 13060861457, E-mail: chuanqiang.li@gdut.edu.cn; WANG Desheng, senior engineer, Tel: 15038673657, E-mail: wangdesheng07@163.com

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	JIANG Shujia
	YANG Hongran
	LI Chuanqiang
	WANG Naiguang
	WANG Desheng

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https://www.ams.org.cn/EN/10.11900/0412.1961.2024.00230 OR https://www.ams.org.cn/EN/Y2025/V61/I12/1803

Fig.1 Schematic of the testing surface of sample (ND—normal direction, TD—transverse direction, ED—extrusion direction)

Fig.2 XRD spectra of as-extruded Mg-2Y-1Zn-0.1Mn (WZ21M), Mg-4Y-2Zn-0.1Mn (WZ42M), and Mg-8Y-4Zn-0.1Mn (WZ84M) alloys (LPSO—long-period stacking ordered)

Fig.3 OM images of as-extruded WZ21M (a), WZ42M (b), and WZ84M (c) alloys

Fig.4 Low (a-c) and locally high (d-f) magnified SEM images of as-extruded WZ21M (a, d), WZ42M (b, e), and WZ84M (c, f) alloys

Fig.5 Hydrogen evolution rates (a) and mass loss rates (b) of as-extruded WZ21M, WZ42M, and WZ84M alloys exposed to 3.5%NaCl solution

Fig.6 Potentiodynamic polarization curves (a), Nyquist plots (b), Bode impedance plots (c), and Bode phase angle diagrams (d) of as-extruded WZ21M, WZ42M, and WZ84M alloys (E—potential, i—current density, Z″—imaginary part of impedance, Z′—real part of impedance, |Z|—impedance modulus. Inset in Fig.6c shows the equivalent circuit (R_s—solution resistance; R_dl and CPE_dl—charge transfer resistance and capacitance of the electrical double layer at the interface between substrate and electrolyte solution, respectively; R_fand CPE_f—resistance and capacitance of the corrosion products generated on the surface, respectively; R_L—inductive resistance; L—inductance))

Table 1 Tafel fitting results of as-extruded WZ21M, WZ42M, and WZ84M alloys derived from Fig.6a

Alloy

R_s

Ω·cm²

R_t

Ω·cm²

Y_dl

μΩ^-1·cm^-2·s $n d l$

n_dl

R_f

Ω·cm²

Y_f

μΩ^-1·cm^-2·s $n f$

n_f

R_L

Ω·cm²

H·cm^-2

WZ21M

24.4

606.0

13.40

0.93

149.2

6200.3

0.87

2131.0

31598

WZ42M

25.2

511.2

18.05

0.93

291.1

5076.9

0.87

1078.0

13511

WZ84M

24.3

459.4

16.14

0.94

147.8

6509.7

0.81

2345.0

16867

Table 2 Fitted EIS data of as-extruded WZ21M, WZ42M, and WZ84M alloys

Fig.7 Discharge curves of as-extruded WZ21M, WZ42M, and WZ84M alloys under current densities of 2.5 mA/cm² (a), 5 mA/cm² (b), 10 mA/cm² (c), and 20 mA/cm² (d) (V_ave—average voltage)

Fig.8 In situ OM images of the corrosion morphologies of as-extruded WZ21M (a1-a5), WZ42M (b1-b5), and WZ84M (c1-c5) alloys immersed in 3.5%NaCl solution for 1 h (a1-c1), 2 h (a2-c2), 4 h (a3-c3), 8 h (a4-c4), and 24 h (a5-c5)

Fig.9 Low (a-c) and locally high (d-f) magnified SEM images of as-extruded WZ21M (a, d), WZ42M (b, e), and WZ84M (c, f) alloys after immersion in 3.5%NaCl solution for 1 h and subsequently removing corrosion products

Fig.10 Low (a-c) and locally high (d-f) magnified SEM images of as-extruded WZ21M (a, d), WZ42M (b, e), and WZ84M (c, f) alloys after immersion in 3.5%NaCl solution for 24 h and subsequently removing corrosion products

Fig.11 3D corrosion morphologies of as-extruded WZ21M (a), WZ42M (b), and WZ84M (c) alloys after immersion in 3.5%NaCl solution for 24 h and subsequently removing corrosion products

Fig.12 Low (a-c) and locally high (d-f) magnified cross-sectional SEM images of as-extruded WZ21M (a, d), WZ42M (b, e), and WZ84M (c, f) alloys after immersion in 3.5%NaCl solution for 24 h and subsequently removing products

Fig.13 SKPFM testing results of as-extruded WZ21M, WZ42M, and WZ84M alloys
(a-c) potential distribution mappings of WZ21M (a), WZ42M (b), and WZ84M (c) alloys, respectively (d-f) line-profile analyses of relative voltage potential along the white lines in Figs.13a-c, respectively

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