Improvement of Corrosion Resistance in EZ33 Magnesium Alloy via Yttrium Addition

Abstract

In recent years, researchers have been investigating different alloying elements to improve the corrosion resistance of magnesium alloys. One such element is Yttrium (Y), which has shown promising results in enhancing the corrosion resistance of magnesium alloys, such as EZ33. The susceptibility of magnesium alloys to corrosion is a major challenge, as corrosion can lead to structural degradation and compromise the integrity of the material, especially in harsh environments. The influence of a single yttrium (Y) addition on the corrosion resistance of the EZ33 Mg alloy was examined in this work. The corrosion resistance was measured using the loss weight method, and the specimens' surfaces were examined using an optical microscope and a scanning electron microscope. The results showed that the corrosion rate decreased with the addition of Y, and microstructure examination illustrated that the corrosion product film formed at the alloy treated with Y was more stable than those formed at the microstructure of the base alloy. Moreover, the corrosion attacked the area where the intermetallic phases formed, which was shown via optical microscope images. Y can be an effective alloying element to enhance the durability of Mg alloys in structural or biomedical applications.