An aspect of this invention is an electrode rod for spark alloying, comprising a compact of a first powder of a first component which comprises a metal selected from a group of Fe, Co, Ni, metals of 4a, 5a and 6a of the periodic table and Si, and a second powder of a second component which is capable of self-propagating high temperature synthesis to form with said first component carbide, nitride, boride, silicide or intermetallic compound, said first and second powders being mixed intimately with each other and formed into an axial rod. Another aspect is a method for the production of the electrospark alloying rod, comprising: mixing intimately a first powder of first component and a second powder of second component, said first component comprising at least one selected from Fe, Co, Ni, metals of groups 4a, 5a and 6a, Sn, Zn, Pb, Al and Cu, said second component comprising materials capable of SHS process to form a refractory (or intermetallic) compound, compressing said mixture, followed or not by further firing, and thereby forming an axial body with a bulk density 0.50 to 0.86 time the theoretical values for the corresponding substances. Still another aspect is a method for the deposition of a coating on a work by causing and holding an electric spark between said electrode rod and work, whereby transferring the materials of said first and second components to the surface of said work, and depositing thereon as a layer or more layers of such compound.