Influence of yttrium addition on properties of Mg-based sacrificial anode

To improve lower current efficiency of Mg-based sacrificial anode, a Mg-based sacrificial anode material with yttrium addition was investigated. Its electrochemical properties were evaluated by the galvanostatic method, and its microstructure and constitution were characterized by metallurgical microscope and X-ray diffraction. The results showed that, the addition of yttrium refined dentrite grains, maximized current efficiency, and minimized potential of magnesium sacrificial anode. When 0.1% yttrium was doped, the anode showed the highest current efficiency, 62.5%, which improved its current efficiency by 14%.