Effect of Deep Cryogenic Treatment on the Microstructure and the Corrosion Resistance of AZ61 Magnesium Alloy Welded Joint

The effect of deep cryogenic treatment on the microstructure and corrosion resistance of an AZ61 magnesium alloy metal inert-gas (MIG) welded joint was investigated. The welded joints were deep-cryogenically treated using different parameters, and were analyzed by metallographic observations, X-ray diffraction, microhardness, and NaCl immersion test. The results show that the treatment changes the microstructure of the entire joint by causing grain refinement and increase in the β-phase. The crystal structure, chemical composition, and electrode potentials are different for the α and the β-phases. Therefore, any change in content, status, and distribution of the β phase has important implications on the corrosion resistance of the samples. With an increase in the holding time, the microhardness value of the whole joint increases, and the difference between the three regions of the joint decreases. The results of the NaCl immersion test show that there is an improvement in the corrosion resistance of the treated joints. Compared with the untreated samples, the corrosion potential of the samples treated by deep cryogenic treatment for 4 h at −180 °C is about 0.017 V higher, and the corrosion current density decreased by one order of magnitude (from about 2.769 × 10−5 A·cm−2 to 1.578 × l0−6 A·cm−2)