The SiO(2)-Al(2)O(3)-ZrO(2)-CaO-ZnO glass-ceramic composite coatings (GC), nanocrystalline NiCoCrAlY coating, and their combinations (bi-layer GC/NiCoCrAlY) were prepared on K38G specimens. The thicknesses of the glass-ceramic coatings and the NiCoCrAlY coatings were about 10 mu m and 20 mu m, respectively. Cyclic oxidation tests were carried out at 1100 degrees C for 120 cycles. Microstructures of the specimens before and after oxidation tests were characterized by SEM, EDS and XRD. The glass-ceramic coatings with or without a NiCoCrAlY intermediate layer improved the isothermal and cyclic oxidation resistance of the Ni-base superalloy K38G at 1100 degrees C, and performed better than the NiCoCrAlY coatings. An alumina layer formed at the glass/metal interfaces of the specimens coated by the glass-ceramic coatings with or without a NiCoCrAlY intermediate layer. The NiCoCrAlY intermediate layer was beneficial to the cyclic oxidation resistance of the glass-ceramic coatings. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.