The stability and reliability of power supply are crucial for driving economic growth and ensuring sustainable development. Among the factors threatening engineering equipment safety, metal corrosion is particularly significant, with iron (Fe), aluminum (Al), and their alloys being the most vulnerable to degradation. This review provides a systematic overview of the corrosion mechanisms, protection strategies, and monitoring technologies for Fe and Al metals and their alloys. The discussion begins with an analysis of the primary corrosion forms affecting these materials, emphasizing the role of environmental and material-specific factors. Advances in corrosion protection methods, including surface treatments, protective coatings, and the utilization of corrosion products to enhance material durability, are examined in detail. Furthermore, the application of real-time and unmanned platform technologies for corrosion monitoring is highlighted, with a focus on their potential to improve monitoring efficiency, accuracy, and safety evaluations. These technologies provide robust data and technical support for the development of targeted corrosion-resistant solutions. This review aims to offer insights into the current challenges and future directions in the study of Fe and Al corrosion resistance, serving as a reference for both researchers and practitioners in the field of engineering.

Nickel-based alloys are commonly used as protective coating materials for surface protection applications owing to their superior resistance to corrosion, wear and high-temperature oxidation. It is urgent to study the fundamental mechanism between the structure and corrosion properties of the Nickel-base composite coatings. This paper, therefore, focuses on clarifying the mechanisms of the microstructure influencing the acid corrosion and mechanical characteristics of the as-sprayed NiCrBSi coating and post-heat-treated coating. The formation mechanisms of the amorphous phase of flat particles during the plasma spray process were studied by using X-ray diffraction analysis, Raman spectroscopy and confocal laser scanning microscope at first. Then the evolutionary process of the corrosion structure and phase of the coating in the accelerated corrosion experiment is directly visualized by using scanning electron microscopy and energy spectrum analysis. The mechanical properties of the amorphous NiCrBSi coatings are lastly measured by microhardness and friction wear tests. The critical phenomena and results help to elucidate the relative influence of the surface features of atmospheric plasma sprayed coatings on acid corrosion responses and wear resistance, aiming at contributing to the development of a protective technique for electrical engineering.

Conventional anticorrosive coatings suffer from limitations of low solid content and rigorous surface pretreatment, posing environmental and cost challenges in field applications. In this study, a novel high-solid-content (>95%) epoxy-polysiloxane (Ep-PSA) ceramic metal coating was prepared that enables low-surface-treatment application. The originality lies in the synergistic combination of nano-sized ceramic powders, high-strength metallic powders, polysiloxane resin (PSA), and solvent-free epoxy resin (Ep), which polymerize through an organic–inorganic interpenetrating network to form a dense shielding layer. The as-prepared Ep-PSA coating system chemically bonds with indigenous metal substrate via Zn₃(PO₄)₂ and resin functionalities during curing, forming a conversion layer that reduces surface preparation requirements. Differentiating from existing high-solid coatings, this approach achieves superior long-term barrier properties, evidenced by |Z|_0.01Hz value of 9.64 × 10⁸ Ω·cm², after 6000 h salt spray exposure—four orders of magnitude higher than commercial 60% epoxy zinc-rich coatings (2.26 × 10⁴ Ω·cm², 3000 h salt spray exposure). The coating exhibits excellent adhesion (14.28 MPa) to standard sandblasted steel plates. This environmentally friendly, durable, and easily applicable composite coating demonstrates significant field application value for large-scale energy infrastructure.