Thermal and Cold Spray Coatings

Magnesium (Mg) alloys have become more common in areas where weight reduction is critical due to their superior strength-to-weight ratio. Even though the low corrosion resistance has limited the use of Mg alloys, surface coatings can provide adequate protection against corrosion without changing the microstructure and characteristics of the coated material, which is one of the practical strategies for avoiding the limitations of the use of Mg alloys. Cold spray (CS) is an emerging coating technique that permits the deposition of dense and high-quality coatings and is attractive for materials sensitive to heat or oxidation, such as Mg alloys. This chapter provides concise accounts of thermal spray (TS) and CS coatings for Mg alloys. The general features of TS and CS approaches, as well as case studies of their application to Mg alloy corrosion protection, are discussed.