A Zn–Al composite coating was successfully deposited on Q235 steel by cold spray technology for the corrosion protection in the marine atmosphere. The microstructure and corrosion behavior of the prepared coating was studied byScanning Electron Microscope (SEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), salt spray test and electrochemical experiments. A 2400-h neutral salt spray corrosion test (with a corrosion medium of 3.5% sodium chloride solution) showed that the prepared cold-sprayed Zn-Al composite coating has excellent anti-corrosion properties. Based on the microstructure evolution and corrosion products analysis, droplets’ flow-driven ‘synergistic corrosion effect’ was proposed to explain the co-corrosion behavior of Zn and Al particles in the composite coating.

The corrosion performance of P91, 304SS and IN625 alloys was evaluated in simulated Solar Salt at 565 °C for up to 15 days. Results revealed that IN625 exhibited the best corrosion resistance with the evolution of thin and compact dual-structured oxide scales. 304SS experienced a great corrosion rate at the initial stage, but showed protective behavior in the later period. A linear mass gain rate was observed for P91, which may result in breakaway corrosion during prolonged immersion time. Finally, the underlying corrosion mechanisms were revealed, providing important guidelines for selecting applicable materials for corrosion mitigation in thermal energy storage (TES) system.

This study clarifies the catalytic role of chloride ions on the corrosion performance of SS316L alloy immersed in molten LiNaK carbonate salt at 700 °C. Accordingly, isothermal static immersion corrosion tests were systematically conducted under different experimental conditions. Our results revealed that the presence of Cl significantly accelerates the corrosion process: the rate constant of the corroded samples increased from 11.3 × 10⁻² mg/cm² to 13.8 × 10⁻² mg/cm² with the addition of Cl. Continuous migration of Cl₂ and volatile metal chlorides leads to the formation of obvious pores, transverse cracks along grain boundaries, surface wrinkles, and partial spalling of the oxide scale, thereby severely aggravating substrate degradation. Notably, no chlorine-containing compounds or chlorine-rich regions were detected in the corroded samples, confirming that chlorine is not consumed in the corrosion process, rather it acts as an autocatalyst through the cyclic process of “oxidation–diffusion–reaction–regeneration”.