Surface oxidation behavior of Mg-Y-Ce alloys at high temperature

After the Mg-Y-Ce magnesium alloy was exposed to air at a temperature up to 1173 K for 0.5 hours, the dense and compact oxide film formed on the surface. Accordingly, oxidation and ignition of magnesium alloys at elevated temperature was successfully retarded by the Y and Ce additions. Thermogravimetric measurements in air revealed that the oxidation dynamics curves measured at 673 and 773 K followed the parabolic-line law and the curve investigated at 873 K followed the complicate quartic law. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis indicated that the oxide film on the surface of Mg-Y-Ce alloys exhibited a duplex structure, which agreed with the results of thermodynamic analysis. The oxidation film included two layers: the outer layer was a multiple structure of Ce0.202Y0.798O1.601 and Y2O3, and the inner layer mainly consisted of metal Mg and MgO.