Evaluation of the Corrosion Resistance of WC-Co Coating on AZ91 Applied by Electro Spark Deposition

In order to enhance the surface properties of a magnesium-based substrate, WC-Co coating was applied on AZ91 alloy by electro spark deposition (ESD), successfully for the first time. The optimum parameters of the ESD process were achieved, based on the corrosion behavior and calculated corrosion rate of the coated samples when 5kHz and 25 A were chosen. For evaluation of the corrosion performance of the achieved WC-Co layers, polarization, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy tests were carried out in the 3.5 wt % Na₃PO₄ solution at room temperature. Polarization results show that the corrosion rate (mpy) is in the optimum condition almost half of a bulk sample of uncoated AZ91. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) was used to examine the surface morphology of applied coatings. These results show that at a lower current, the amount of deposited WC-Co was reduced. The maximum surface microhardness obtained was 193 HV0.2.