Effect of Mn Addition and Heat Treatment on the Corrosion Behaviour of Mg–Ag–Mn Alloy

The high corrosion sensitivity and the potential bio-toxicity of Mg-Ag alloys limit their wide applications for the production of implanted devices. In the present work, Mn is added into the Mg-Ag alloy to optimize its corrosion behaviour. The corrosion behaviour of Mg-Ag-Mn alloys is investigated with the underlying microstructural factors examined. The Mg-Ag alloy with 2 wt. % Mn exhibits the highest corrosion resistance after post-casting heat treatment at 440 ⁰C. The addition of Mn results in α-Mn phase with the incorporation of Fe, which suppresses the cathodic activity of impurity Fe. Further, heat treatment of the cast alloys homogenizes the distribution of Ag and promotes the precipitation of α-Mn phase. The former removes Ag segregations as potential cathodes; the latter promotes a more uniform distribution of cathodes and, therefore, prevents localized corrosion.