Magnesium alloys surface attack

When considering zinc-aluminum alloys, the surface oxide film normally present is likely to reduce any corrosion current. The risk of bimetallic corrosion is small in atmospheric exposure trials by Noranda have been in progress since 1984 on ZA alloys coupled to other common metals. No visual effects were noted at the 5-year examination (Barmhurst and Belisle, 1992). A zinc-25% aluminum-0.05% magnesium alloy coupled to other materials and exposed on the Noranda Research Center roof showed pitting attack on the zinc-based material (but only up to 0.38 mm deep in 10 years) when joined to copper, brass, or steel, but less when joined to stainless steel or lead and least when joined to aluminum. 

The likely mechanism of the inhibitive effect of KF on AM-SCl is similar to that for pure magnesium and AZ91D in a fluoride-containing ethylene glycol solution, i.e. fluorides react with magnesium in the matrix of AM-SCl alloy, forming a low-solubility magnesium fluoride product which deposits on the alloy surface and prevents further corrosion attack to the alloy. 

The unequal attack which occurs in tap water, condensate and other mild electrolytes may lead to perforations of thin-gauge sheet and even to deep pitting of castings. In stronger electrolytes the effect is variable. In chloride solutions such as sea-water, attack on the metal usually results in the pitting of some areas only, but where the metal surface has been rendered reactive, as by shot blasting, attack may be so rapid that uniform dissolution over the whole surface may occur. In either case magnesium-base alloys are not usually suitable for use in aqueous liquids since they are not intrinsically resistant to these electrolytes. 

When constructing electrolyzers for this process it is rather difficult to find suitable materials which can resist the effects of fluorine as it attacks most metals even at normal temperature fortunately continuous fluoride coatings are formed on the surface of some metals which protects them against further corrosion at least to a certain extent. Such metals are iron, nickel, Monel metal, aluminium and its alloys, magnesium and especially electron one of its alloys. However, the protective films are only stable at lower temperatures. At elevated temperatures a violent reaction proceeds between the fluorine and the metal. Monel metal and copper have relatively the best resistance against fluorine at elevated temperatures. These metals, therefore, were widely used to construct electrolyzers. In more recent designs, copper was replaced by steel or electron. 

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