AZ91 magnesium alloys containing 0.27-5.22 wt.% Ca, were melted and cast to study the effects of Ca addition on oxidation resistance at elevated temperatures. An ignition temperature test showed that the ignition of AZ91 alloy occurred at about 350-450°C below the melting point, whereas that of the Ca-containing AZ91 alloys did so at above 650°C. Weight gain measurements indicated that the oxidation resistance of the AZ91 alloys improved with Ca addition. The oxidation rate was dependent on the oxidation temperature. In the temperature range of 300-400°C, the oxidation rate increased linearly. By contrast, the weight of 5 wt.% Ca-containing AZ91 alloy increased slowly due to the formation of a protective oxide layer. The oxidized surfaces were analyzed with low-angle XRD, FE-SEM equipped with EDS and AES. Complex structures were found in the oxide layers of the Ca-containing alloys: the outer layer mainly consisted of CaO, which was of uniform thickness, and the inner layer was a mixture of CaO, MgO, and Al 2 O 3 . In contrast to the loose and porous MgO formed on the surface of AZ91, the compact and dense oxide layers acted as an effective barrier to the further oxidation of the Ca-containing AZ91 alloys.

In this paper, CoCrFeNiTix high entropy alloy (HEA) coatings were prepared on the surface of Q235 steel by laser cladding. The microstructure, microhardness, and corrosion resistance of the coatings were studied. The mechanism of their corrosion resistance was elucidated experimentally and by first-principles calculations. The results show that CoCrFeNiTi0.1 adopts a face-centered cubic (FCC) phase, CoCrFeNiTi0.3 exhibits an FCC phase and a tetragonal FeCr phase, and CoCrFeNiTi0.5 adopts an FCC phase, a tetragonal FeCr phase, and a rhombohedral NiTi phase. The FCC phase, tetragonal FeCr phase, rhombohedral NiTi phase, and hexagonal CoTi phase are all observed in the CoCrFeNiTi0.7 HEA. The alloys assume the dendritic structure that is typical of HEAs. Ni and Ti are enriched in the interdendritic regions, whereas Cr and Fe are enriched in the dendrites. With increasing Ti content, the hardness of the cladding layers also increases due to the combined effects of lattice distortion and dispersion strengthening. When exposed to a 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution, pitting corrosion is the main form of corrosion on the CoCrFeNiTix HEA surfaces. The corrosion current densities of CoCrFeNiTix HEAs are much lower than those of other HEAs. As the Ti content increases, the corrosion resistance is improved. Through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and first-principles calculations, the origin of the higher corrosion resistance of the coatings is connected to the presence of a dense passivation film. In summary, the corrosion resistance and mechanical properties of CoCrFeNiTi0.5 alloy are much better than the other three groups, which promotes the development of HEA systems with high value for industrial application.

Beryllium was added to Mg-Ca alloys to study their ignition-proof properties. The ignition temperatures of Mg-2Ca alloys were increased dramatically with increasing Be addition. Thermogravimetric measurement revealed that the oxidation of Mg-2Ca alloys was slowed down by Be addition. After elevated temperature exposure to air, the Mg-2Ca alloy was partially ignited, while the surface of Be-containing alloys was smooth without any partial ignition. SEM, low-angle XRD, and AES observations indicated that the surface of Becontaining alloys became compact and dense, and the oxide film formed at elevated temperature mainly consisted of CaO together with MgO and BeO. It was found that the CaO enriched oxide layer acted as an impermeable barrier to the inward diffusion of oxygen and thus further oxidation was prevented.

The liquid oxidation behavior of Mg-Ca base alloys containing Be has been presented in this paper. The ignition temperature test and microbalance measurement indicated that the oxide film formed at elevated temperature was protective, resulting in the improved oxidation resistance and ignition-proof properties. A Ca-rich zone was found at the very near surface of oxide layer. With Be addition the oxide layer became dense and compact, which was impermeable for the rapid diffusion of oxygen and magnesium through the oxide layer. It was concluded that the formation of BeO in the oxide layer suppressed the continuous growth of the oxide layer.