Characterization of AC PEO coatings on magnesium alloys

Optical emission spectroscopy, fast video imaging and coating characterization are employed to investigate AC plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) of magnesium alloys. The findings revealed initiation and gradual increase in the number of discharges after 2–4 ms of each anodic pulse once a critical voltage was reached. No discharges were observed during the cathodic half-cycles. The lifetimes of discharges were in the range of 0.05–4 ms. A transition in the voltage-time response, accompanied by a change in the acoustic and optical emission characteristics of discharges, was associated with the development of an intermediate coating layer with an average hardness of 270–450 HV0.05. The coatings grew at a rate in the range 4.0–7.5 µm min− 1, depending on the substrate composition. Regardless of the substrate, the coatings consisted of MgO and Mg2SiO4, with incorporation of alloying element species. Electrolyte species were mainly present in a more porous layer at the coating surface, constituting 20–40% of the coating thickness. A thin barrier layer consisting of polycrystalline MgO was located next to the alloy. The corrosion rate of the magnesium alloys determined using potentiodynamic polarization in 3.5 wt.% NaCl was reduced by 2–4 orders of magnitude by the PEO treatment.