Corrosion Resistance of Mg-4Zn Alloy with Amorphous Micro-Arc Oxidation Coating in Simulated Body Fluid

A binary Mg-4Zn alloy was fabricated as a potential degradable biomaterial. To improve the corrosion resistance of Mg-4Zn alloy, an amorphous micro-arc oxidation (MAO) coating was prepared on the Mg-4Zn substrate. Electrochemical measurements and immersion tests were employed to evaluate the corrosion resistance of the specimen in simulated body fluid (SBF). Electrochemical measurements show that the Mg-4Zn alloy covered with a MAO coating has a much lower corrosion current density and a much greater polarization resistance. Immersion tests suggest that the degradation of Mg-4Zn substrate is relatively serious during the initial 8 h of immersion although it has been protected by a MAO coating. When most micro-pores within the MAO coating have been filled with precipitates resulted from the corrosion of the metal substrate, the degradation of the Mg-4Zn substrate is significantly delayed.