Protective coatings are the most widely used corrosion protection method for construction materials in different environmental conditions. They isolate metals from aggressive media, making the structure more durable. Today, alongside good anti-corrosive properties, coatings need to be safe for the environment and harmless to those who apply them. The high volatile organic compound (VOC) content in conventional solvent-borne coatings presents a huge ecological problem. A solution for indispensable solvent emission reduction is the application of powder coatings. This study evaluates the corrosion performance and surface morphology of polyester and epoxy–polyester powder coatings. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), open circuit potential (OCP) measurement, salt spray chamber and humidity chamber testing followed by adhesion testing were used to investigate the protective properties of powder coatings. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) was used to analyse the surface morphology and chemical composition, whereas the microstructure and coating uniformity were determined by optical microscope examination. The research revealed a negative influence of coating surface texture on coating thickness and consequently a lack of barrier and adhesion properties. The epoxy–polyester powder coating showed a better performance than the polyester coating. All tested coatings showed uniform structure.

During exploitation, the properties of the epoxy coating deteriorate and therefore, it is necessary to modify it with metal particles. In this paper, spherical aluminium nanoparticles (Al NP) of 100 nm with 99.9% purity were used to modify the epoxy coating for the better corrosion protection of grey cast iron. Pure Al has a high corrosion resistance and can form a thin protective film that prevents its further oxidation, thus, becoming inert and environmentally friendly. To examine these facts, different concentrations (0.5, 0.75, 1.0, 3.0, and 6.0 wt.%) of Al nanoparticles were dispersed in the epoxy coating. The surface of the modified nanocomposite coating was analysed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS). Furthermore, the physical properties such as colour, thickness, hardness, and adhesion to the cast iron surface were tested as well. The same properties were tested by exposing the sample plates to corrosive conditions in the climate chamber. Their anticorrosion properties were investigated using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) by their immersion in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution as a corrosive medium. The coating with 0.75% Al NP showed the best corrosion resistance after 10 days of exposure in salt water, while the sample with 1.0% Al NP showed the best corrosion resistance after exposure to the icing/deicing process.

In this paper, the electrochemical corrosion resistance of near-nano and nanostructured WC-Co cemented carbides was investigated. WC powders with an average grain size d_BET in the range from 95 nm to 150 nm and with an addition of vanadium carbide (VC) and chromium carbide Cr₃C₂ as grain growth inhibitors were used as starting powders. The mixtures with 6 wt. % and 9 wt. % Co were consolidated by two different processes; sintering in hydrogen atmosphere and the sinter-HIP process. WC-Co samples were researched by direct current and alternating current techniques in the solution of 3.5% NaCl at room temperature. Corrosion parameters such as corrosion potential (E_corr), corrosion current density (j_corr) and polarization resistance (R_p) were determined by electrochemical techniques. From the conducted research, it was found that the consolidation processes and microstructural characteristics—grain growth inhibitors, grain size of the starting WC powders and η-phase—influenced the electrochemical corrosion resistance. η-phase enhanced the formation of a passive layer on the samples’ surfaces, thereby reducing the tendency of the sample dissolution and increasing the stability of oxides forming therewith a passive layer on the sample surface.

CoCrMo alloys have been used in hip replacements for many years, and their properties can be enhanced with hard coatings. The TiN layer can be deposited on a CoCrMo alloy to its improve corrosion properties, such as reduction of the release of potentially harmful metal ions from CoCrMo-based surgical implants. In this work, a medical grade CoCrMo alloy was coated with TiN by means of plasma-assisted chemical deposition from the vapor phase (PACVD) technique at 500 °C for 4.5 h. The TiN/substrate interface and thickness of the TiN layer were analysed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Corrosion parameters E_cor, R_p, and I_cor were determined via direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC) electrochemical techniques. The SEM analysis showed a highly dense and quite uniform TiN layer, with a thickness of 2 µm. The results obtained by the DC electrochemical methods show better corrosion stability of the TiN/CoCrMo samples in comparison with CoCrMo in 0.9% NaCl at (25 ± 1) °C and (36 ± 1) °C. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) results show that there are nuclei on the TiN coating which reduce the corrosion stability.