Protection of Mg Alloys against Galvanic and Other Forms of Corrosion

Galvanic corrosion is a particularly important form of corrosion for Mg alloys used in automobiles. Our research work focuses on corrosion protection using cost-effective Cr-free coatings. The top-tanking coatings are found to be effective in preventing general corrosion; some of these coatings are also good for reducing galvanic corrosion and stress corrosion. A practical approach for mitigating galvanic corrosion is to increase the electrolytic resistance between the coated steel and the Mg surfaces. This has been demonstrated in the case of a conversion coating plus a powder coat applied on the surface of a magnesium alloy and in the case of a thin Mylar isolation layer installed between the Mg and the steel surfaces.