In the present work, graphite grains of different sizes were added into the electrolyte to prepare ceramic coatings on aluminum by plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with an energy dispersive X-ray analysis system (EDX), Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffractometer (XRD) were used to characterize the coatings. A three-electrode system was used to evaluate the corrosion performances of the coatings in a 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution. It was found that the morphology and corrosion performance of the coatings were significantly influenced by the size of the graphite grains. Compared with bigger graphite grains, finer ones were involved in the oxidation process and embedded within the ceramic coatings, which made the coatings less porous and more compact. Thus, the corrosion resistance of the coatings with embedded graphite grains was greatly improved. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.