Effect of Superhydrophobic Surface on Corrosion Resistance of Magnesium-Neodymium Alloy in Artificial Hand Sweat

Abstract

A superhydrophobic surface can endow metals with some intriguing characteristics such as self-cleaning behavior. In this study, a simple solution-immersion method based on the concept of predesigned corrosion is developed to enhance the corrosion resistance of a magnesium-neodymium alloy. The Mg alloy is directly soaked in potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution with the addition of ultrasound, and a layer of rough but dense coating is uniformly formed on the Mg-Nd alloy after the immersion process, which is mainly composed of MgHPO4∙3H2O. A superhydrophobic surface with an average wetting angle of 150.5° and a sliding angle of about 4.5° can be obtained on the Mg alloy by further chemical surface modification with perfluorodecyltriethoxysilane. This superhydrophobic surface has an interesting self-cleaning effect as well as good corrosion resistance in artificial hand sweat. In brief, this study provides a feasible way to prepare a superhydrophobic surface on the Mg-Nd alloy and reveals the effect of a superhydrophobic surface on the corrosion behavior of the Mg-Nd alloy, offering new technical insights into the corrosion protection of magnesium alloys.