A novel method of electroless plating on AZ31 magnesium alloy sheet

Magnesium alloys are well known as high-activity materials, thus electroless plating is difficult to carry out on these alloys. However, in this paper, a copper film was coated on AZ31 magnesium alloy by using organic coatings and electroless deposition. The value of the cross-cut test indicates the adhesion between the substrate and the interlayer is good. X-ray diffraction and SEM analysis indicates that the copper film has a rather perfect crystal structure. The polarization curves of the material reveal: the corrosion resistance of the plated sample increases distinctly. The method proposed in this work is environmentally friendly: non-toxic chemicals are used. In addition, this paper provides a new concept for plating the metals, which used to be considered difficult to plate due to their high activity.