The transition metal (Cu, Mn, Co, Cr, and Fe) oxides with spinel structure can be used as solar absorber materials due to their unique properties. Copper-based spinel ceramic pigments have been successfully prepared by sol-gel combustion method at low temperatures. Subsequently, spinel ceramic pigments have been employed to fabricate selective absorber paint coating by spraying-coating. The paint coating showed good spectral selectivity and thermal stability at low-to-mid temperature region. Spinel ceramic films have also been deposited on metal substrates by one dipping/annealing cycle. Spinel phase for single-layer ceramic film could be achieved at low annealing temperatures, and the single-layer ceramic film showed good spectral selectivity and benign thermal stability. Results presented here show that spinel compounds based on transition metal (Cu, Mn, Co, Cr, and Fe) oxides are promising materials for photothermal conversion applications.
Part of the book: Magnetic Spinels