Corrosion Characteristics of Friction Stir Welded AZ31 Magnesium Alloy

Abstract

A comparative evaluation of the corrosion behavior of friction stir welded AZ31 weldments under immersion and electrochemical tests was revealed. Extruded Mg alloy plates of 6 mm thick of AZ31 grade were butt welded using friction stir welding (FSW) process. The specimens were exposed to immersion and polarization environments in order to evaluate their corrosion rates at the corrosive media containing Cl - with different pH values. This research work proves a better corrosion resistance of AZ31 magnesium alloy welds at the alkaline solution than the acidic and the neutral solutions.