Polishing-assisted galvanic corrosion in the dissimilar friction stir welded joint of AZ31 magnesium alloy to 2024 aluminum alloy

Galvanic corrosion of a dissimilar friction stir welded 2024-T3 Al/AZ31B-H24 Mg joint prepared using a water-based and a non-water-based polishing solution was characterized. Microstructure and the distribution of chemical elements were analyzed using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The stir zone polished using water-based solution was observed to be much more susceptible to galvanic corrosion attack than that obtained using non-water-based polishing solution. The location of corrosion attack was observed in the narrow regions of AZ31 Mg alloy adjacent to Al2024 regions in the stir zone. The occurrence of galvanic corrosion was due to the formation of Mg/Al galvanic couples with a small ratio of anode-to-cathode surface area. The corrosion product was primarily the porous magnesium hydroxide with characteristic microcracks and exhibited a low microhardness value.