WC-17Ni and WC-17Co coatings were deposited on mild steel and stainless steel substrates by High Velocity Oxy-Fuel (HVOF) spray process. WC-17Ni and WC-17Co coatings were obtained by the spray process and the porosity of these coatings was measured. Polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) were performed on both uncoated substrates and coated samples immersed in 3% NaCl solution. WC-17Ni coating with a lower porosity, serve as a better barrier and effectively prevented corrosion attack when it was deposited on mild steel substrate. The nickel binder in the WC-17Ni coating was found to have a better corrosion resistance than the cobalt binder in the WC-17Co coating. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.