Corrosion Behaviors of Fluoride Treated Cast Magnesium Alloy in Hank’s Solution

Fluoride conversion films were synthesized on cast magnesium alloy AZ31 by immersion in hydrofluoric acid for different days to improve the corrosion resistance of Mg alloys as degradable implant material. The effects of the films on the corrosion behavior of the mg substrates were investigated by immersion tests. The results showed the fluoride conversion film was affected by the distribution of the chemical component of cast AZ31 alloy and the film on the second phases has more pores and micro-crack, but the bottoms of the pores were also covered by the conversion film and the substrate was not exposed through the pores. The fluoride conversion coatings significantly improved the corrosion resistance of cast AZ31 alloy. The film on the second phase with more pores is the first to dissolve. The most improved corrosion protection was achieved by 15 days treatment with the thickest film in terms of hydrogen evolution rate and damage morphology.