passivate

American  

[pas-uh-veyt] / ˈpæs əˌveɪt /

verb (used with object)

Metallurgy.

passivated, passivating

1. to treat (a metal) to render the surface less reactive chemically.

---

passivate British  

/ ˈpæsɪˌveɪt /

verb

1. (tr) to render (a metal) less susceptible to corrosion by coating the surface with a substance, such as an oxide

---

Other Word Forms

• passivation
  noun

Etymology

Origin of passivate

First recorded in 1910–15; passive + -ate ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

passivate passivated passivating

Under a positive voltage, they found that nitrate ions "passivate" the catalyst by attaching to its surface, which prevents copper oxide from converting to metallic copper and instead results in the formation of nitrite ions.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 22, 2025

The new study looks at a very small but key detail: how to "passivate" the material's surface, changing its properties in such a way that the perovskite no longer degrades so rapidly or loses efficiency.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 29, 2024

The new study "addressed the ability to passivate those interfaces and elucidate the physics and science behind why this passivation works as well as it does," Bulovic says.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 29, 2024

Long-chain organic ligands, such as oleic acid, are used in the synthesis of PbSe QDs to control growth kinetics, allow for stable colloidal dispersions, and passivate surface states through their metal-ligand chemistry.

From Science Magazine ● Dec. 15, 2011

Furthermore, while normal perovskites showed lead iodide formation when exposed to 95% humidity at room temperature for 300 hours, no such issue was observed for the perovskite passivated by B18C6.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 29, 2024

One way to disrupt the film is to expose the passivated metal to mercury.

From Textbooks ● Feb. 14, 2019

Engineers have developed methods for passivation, for example by using a solution that creates a thin passivating coating.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 29, 2024

"Another big hope is that with this understanding, people will be able to better engineer large areas to have these passivating effects."

From Science Daily ● Feb. 29, 2024

A recent shift in silicon cell design, essentially adding a thin passivating layer and changing the doping profile, provides an efficiency gain of about half of a percent.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 29, 2024

The chromium tends to collect near the surface, where it corrodes and forms a passivating an oxide layer that protects the iron.

From Textbooks ● Feb. 14, 2019