The initiation and growth mechanisms of corrosion pits in an AE44 magnesium alloy,
subjected to a wet saline environment, were quantified, and a corrosion mode to explain the
phenomena is suggested. Immersion test were carried out in a NaCl 3.5% solution, for
different surfaces at room temperature. The corrosion process was evaluated using a laser
profilemeter (LP), optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy
dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy (EDS). The stereological quantities included the pit density
number, pit radius, pit size distribution, and pit coalescence area. A pit corrosion evolution
was estimated using the data obtained from the laser Profilemeter.