The effect of various nanoparticles (NPs) added to the electrolyte on the composition, structure, and properties of oxide layers formed by plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) on a cast magnesium alloy AZ81A was studied in this work. The oxide layers were obtained by alternating adding silicon dioxide SiO2, silicon nitride Si3N4, yttrium oxide Y2O3, tungsten carbide WC, and titanium carbide TiC NPs to the electrolyte. The obtained oxide layers were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis (EDXMA), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), instrumental indentation and potentiodynamic polarization (PDP). The thickness, roughness, microhardness, adhesion and corrosion resistance of the oxide layers were determined. The greatest increase in the oxide layer thickness, in its hardness and corrosion resistance was observed for TiC and WC NPs added to the electrolyte during PEO. The addition of Si3N4 NPs leads to a decrease in the oxide layer thickness and its hardness, while the corrosion resistance is comparable to the one of the uncoated magnesium alloy.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.