Microstructure and Corrosion Resistance of AZ91 Magnesium Alloy after Surface Remelting Treatment

The effect of surface remelting treatment on the microstructure and corrosion resistance of the AZ91 magnesium alloy was studied. The surface layer was remelted by GTAW (gas tungsten arc welding). An original two-burner system with welding torches operating in a tandem configuration was used, allowing the combination of cleaning the surface from oxides with the remelting process. The studies of the corrosion resistance of the alloy included electrochemical tests and measurements of the rate of hydrogen evolution. The results showed that surface remelting treatment leads to favorable microstructural changes, manifested in strong grain refinement and a more uniform arrangement of the β-Mg₁₇Al₁₂ phase. The changes in the microstructure caused by remelting and the accompanying fast crystallization contributed to an increase in the corrosion resistance of the remelted samples in comparison to their non-remelted equivalents. The results obtained on the basis of the polarization curves showed three-fold lower values of the corrosion current density in the case of the remelted material than the value of the corrosion current density determined for the starting material. In turn, in the case of measurements of the electrochemical noise and corrosion rate determined by the method of measuring the rate of hydrogen evolution, this value for the remelted alloy was two times lower. The research also showed that GTAW technology is highly effective and can be a valuable alternative to laser techniques. The complete experimental details, obtained results and their analyses are presented in this paper.