BASIC PRINCIPLES OF SPECIFIC APPLICATIONS OF CERAMIC MATERIALS AS PROTECTIVE LAYERS

Improved knowledge of the ways in which the structures, properties and behaviour of coated materials are interrelated as well as technical advances in the production of specific layers constitute a basis on which a better understanding of application characteristics and an application-oriented material selection become possible. Many of the relations between constitution, microstructure, properties and application behaviour developed for bulk materials can also be used to understand the behaviour of layer materials and to optimize coatings. A survey and a classification of the most common protective layer materials are given and typical examples of coating concepts with improved properties are discussed.