Spinels

Common uses in industry and technology

Spinels commonly form in high temperature processes. Either native oxide scales of metals, or intentional deposition of spinelcoatings can be used to protect base metals from oxidation or corrosion. The presence of spinels may hereby serve as thin (few micrometer thick) functional layers, that prevent the diffusion of oxygen (or other atmospheric) ions or specific metal ions such as chromium, which otherwise exhibits a fast diffusion process at high temperatures.