As an alternative to the present toxic chromate-based coating system now in use, the Mg-rich primer technology has been designed to protect Al alloys (in particular Al 2024 T3) and developed in analogy to Zn-rich primers for steel substrate. As an expansion of this concept, metal-rich primer systems based on Mg alloy particles as pigments were studied. Five different Mg alloy pigments, AM60, AZ91B, LNR91, AM503 and AZG, were characterized by using the same epoxy-polyamide polymer as binder, a same dispersion additive and the same solvent. Different Mg alloy-rich primers were formulated by varying the Mg alloy particles and their pigment volume concentrations (PVC). The electrochemical performance of each Mg alloy-rich primer after the cyclic exposure in Prohesion chamber was investigated by electrochemical impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). The results indicated that all the Mg alloy-rich primers could provide cathodic protection for AA 2024 T3 substrates. However, the Mg alloys as pigments in metal-rich primers seemed to exhibit the different anti-corrosion protection performances, such as the barrier properties, due to the different properties of these pigments. In these investigations, multiple samples of each system were studied and statistical methods were used in analyzing the EIS data. From these results, the recommendation for improved EIS data analysis was made. CPVC studies were carried out on the Mg alloy-rich primers by using three Mg alloy pigments, AM60, AZ91B and LNR91. A modified model for predicting CPVC is proposed, and the results showed much better agreement between the CPVC values obtained from the experimental and mathematical methods. Using the data from the AM60 alloy pigment system, an estimate of experimental coarseness was done on a coating system, the first time such an estimate has been performed. By combining various surface analysis techniques, such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and confocal Raman microscopy, the oxidation products formed after exposure were identified. It was found that variation of Al content in Mg alloy could significantly affect the pH of the microenvironment in the primer films and result in the formation of various oxidation products.