Al2O3 coatings are often used as protective layers on steels against electrochemical and hightemperature
corrosion because they are chemically inert and stable at elevated temperatures. This study presents preliminary work on the possibilities of using Al2O3 sol-gel coatings for corrosion protection of martensitic stainless steels in geothermal environments. Al2O3 sol-gel coatings were applied on UNS S42000, which is known to be susceptible to uniform and localized corrosion. The coated steel specimens were then tested in two types of artificial geothermal water, which simulate the geothermal fluids found in Sibayak (SBY), Indonesia, and North German Basin (NGB), Germany, respectively. SBY has pH 4 and 1.5 g/L of chloride ions, whereas NGB has a pH of 6 and 166 g/L of chloride ions. All experiments were carried out in autoclaves at 150 °C and 1 MPa under the deaerated condition. Evaluations were performed by investigating the surface profiles of both uncoated and coated steels before and after the corrosion test using a Laser Scanning Microscope (LSM) and
Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Finally, Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) was performed to compare the corrosion resistance of Al2O3 coated steels in SBY and NGB solutions. It was observed from the corrosion test that Al2O3 coatings are more suitable for use in geothermal water with a higher pH.