Corrosion of magnesium alloys: the role of alloying

AbstractThe demand for light-weighting in transport and consumer electronics has seen rapid growth in the commercial usage of magnesium (Mg). The major use of Mg is now in cast Mg products, as opposed to the use of Mg as an alloying element in other alloy systems and there is an emerging market of wrought Mg products and biomedical Mg components – such that the past two decades have seen a significant number of new Mg-alloys reported. None-the-less, the corrosion of Mg alloys continues to be a challenge facing engineers seeking weight reductions by deployment of Mg. Herein, authors review the influence of alloying on the corrosion of Mg-alloys, with particular emphasis on the underlying electrochemical kinetics that dictate the ultimate corrosion rate. Such a review focusing on the chemistry–corrosion link, both in depth and in a holistic approach, is lacking. As such the authors do not describe aspects such as high-temperature oxidation or cracking, but focus on delivering the state-of-the-art with regar...