The effect of Nd addition on the corrosion behavior of Zn-5Al (wt.%) alloy exposed in neutral 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution was investigated by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), potentiodynamic polarization, open circuit potential, SEM, EDS, XRD and XPS techniques. The results reveal that the addition of Nd increases the corrosion resistance of Zn-5Al alloy, which can be ascribed to the modification of the microstructure and the corrosion products, the improvement of the integrity of Al2O3 film and the inhibition of the selective corrosion of eta-Zn and alpha-Al phases. The corrosion mechanism of Zn-Al eutectic structure is also discussed. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.