Actual trends in the elaboration of advanced multifunctional coating systems for the efficient protection of lightweight aircraft alloys

One of the pillars of developed economics is modern transport, where there is always a high demand for the elaboration of lightweight efficient vehicles and transport facilities. Aluminum and magnesium alloys encounter continuously increasing applications in high-performance aircraft, automobile, and marine vehicles. Various advanced multilayered corrosion protective coating systems have recently been proposed to provide a reliable long-term corrosion protection combined with a number of supplemental beneficial properties. The present brief review is an attempt to summarize the basic trends and concepts regarding the elaboration of environmentally friendly multilayered and multifunctional corrosion protective coating systems. Our work summarizes these recent trends, including recently accepted environmental requirements. We have also distinguished the concepts for active and passive corrosion protection capabilities. The basic approach for the achievement of efficient active corrosion protection properties are outlined with suitable examples, such as inhibitor incorporation into ceramic or carbon nanoparticles, encapsulation of active self-healing compounds, reinforcing phase involvement and coating, finished by ultraviolet absorbers and hydrophobic compounds. As a main result, an entire conceptual model has been proposed based on the state-of-the-art analysis.