Ceramic coatings of LA141 alloy formed by plasma electrolytic oxidation for corrosion protection.

Superlight Mg-Li alloy is a promising structural materials in aerospace, automobile, and electronics because of its excellent properties such as low density, high ductility, superior strength-to-weight ratio, and good damping ability. The fabrication of compact plasma electrolytic oxidation coatings with excellent corrosion resistance is valuable for the widespread application of Mg-Li alloy. Here we present a ceramic coating on the surface of Mg-14Li-1Al (LA141) alloy for corrosion protection via plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) in an alkaline silicate electrolyte with tungstate as an additive. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and thin film-X-ray diffraction analysis of coatings show that the surface coating is mainly comprised of Mg(2)SiO(4), MgO and WO(3). Scanning electron microscopy observations have revealed that the dense and compact coating formed in the presence of tungstate has less structural imperfections in comparison to the control one fabricated without use of tungstate. The effect of oxidation time on the morphology and phase composition of coatings is also examined in detail.