A review on the corrosion process in magnesium

Abstract

Magnesium is one of the largely available elements in the earth's crust. It has a low structural density with high specific strength. This unique material property has forced an increase in the use of magnesium and its alloys in various applications pertaining to industrial sector, automobiles, aerospace and biomedical. But off late magnesium has become an ideal metal in the applications related to biodegradable temporary implants. Since magnesium is a highly reactive metal, it is prone to higher rate of corrosion as compared to its counterparts. Thus it is essential to analyze and understand the corrosion behavior of magnesium and its alloys in its applications. This review primarily focuses on the corrosion behavior of magnesium and the influence of corrosion products on the material characteristics of magnesium in aqueous medium. The idea behind this is to establish magnesium as a suitable material for biodegradable implant applications.