Bond coats play a significant role in manipulating the stability of 8YSZ thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) deposited on Mg alloy. In this study, different bond coats from the Al@Ni, Ni@Al and MCrAlY (M = Co, Ni) powders were prepared on the Mg alloy by atmospheric plasma spraying. The spraying behavior of the powders, the microstructure, oxidation and corrosion resistance of the produced bond coats were investigated to find the positive bond coat for TBCs on Mg alloy. Results indicate that the composition and structure of original powders affect the structure and properties of the sprayed bond coats. For the candidate bond coats, the MCrAlY bond coat is demonstrated as the most appropriate one for 8YSZ TBCs deposited on Mg alloy substrate, which is mainly attributed to its moderate thermal expansion match and excellent corrosion and oxidation resistance under the simulated corrosion and relatively high temperature conditions. Crown Copyright (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.