Spherical color pigments, process for their production and use thereof

A process for producing a spherical colored pigment having an average particle diameter of from 0.5 .mu.m to less than 10 .mu.m and a spinel structure of the general formula AB.sub.2 O.sub.4, B(AB)O.sub.4 or DE.sub.2 O.sub.4 where A is selected from the group consisting of Mg.sup.2+, Ca.sup.2+, Sr.sup.2+, Ba.sup.2+, Mn.sup.2+, Fe.sup.2+, Co.sup.2+, Ni.sup.2+, Cu.sup.2+ and Zn.sup.2+, B is selected from the group consisting of Al.sup.3+, Ga.sup.3+, In.sup.3+, Sc.sup.3+, Ln.sup.3+, Ti.sup.3+, V.sup.3+, Cr.sup.3+, Fe.sup.3+, Ni.sup.3+, and Co.sup.3+, D is selected from the group consisting of Ti.sup.4+ and Zr.sup.4+, and E is selected from the group consisting of Fe.sup.2+, Co.sup.2+ and Ni.sup.2+, the process comprising

• (i) preparing a solution containing spinel-forming metal compounds and a solvent for the spinel-forming compounds, including at least one color-imparting metal compound in a quantity that is effective as a pigment,
• (ii) converting the solution into an aerosol,
• (iii) predrying the aerosol at a temperature in the range from above a boiling-point of the solvent to 250.degree. C.,
• (iv) introducing the aerosol into a pyrolysis reactor that is heated directly or indirectly,
• (v) implementing pyrolysis at a temperature above a decomposition temperature of the metal compounds to produce a pyrolysis gas, and
• (vi) recovering the pigment from the pyrolysis gas.