Anodizing—The pore makes the difference

Abstract The presentation gives an insight into the fascinating world of anodizing as corrosion protection but also goes far beyond. Starting with an introduction to the formation of anodic oxide films and their characteristic features, the authors briefly outline the subject of pore nucleation and growth. The number, size, and shape of the pores essentially determine the properties and play a crucial role in the final application of the anodizing layers. The tailoring of pore design, considering the final application as well as the use of the porous oxide layers for subsequent functional modifications, is demonstrated by examples, exclusively developed in the working groups of the respective authors or in joint research projects, which were in part professionally accompanied and supported by the German Corrosion Society GfKORR e.V.