Electrolytic plasma processing (EPP) is an emerging, environmentally friendly, surface engineering technique. In this study, we have utilized the EPP technique to deposit silicate and phosphate coatings on magnesium for both corrosion and erosion protection. Potentiodynamic polarization measurements were used to investigate the corrosion properties of the coated samples. A stirring device was also used for corrosion and erosion testing. Coated and uncoated samples were immersed in a 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution with SiO2 sand in suspension and rotated at a given speed. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis were used to study surface morphology and chemical composition of the coatings before and after corrosion-erosion testing. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.