Ceramic coatings are being explored to extend the lifetime of stainless steel interconnects in planar Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs). One promising coating is Co1.5Mn1.5O4 spinel, which is deposited using various techniques, resulting in different coating thicknesses, compositions and microstructures. In this study, stainless steel 441HP samples were subjected to three levels of preoxidation (0, 3, 10 and 100 h in 800 degrees C lab air) prior to coating. Samples were coated with 2 mu m CoMn alloy using magnetron sputtering and were subsequently annealed in 800 degrees C air for 0, 10, 100 or 1650 h. Oxidation behaviors were evaluated as a function of these exposures, as well as in dual atmospheres and during area specific resistance (ASR) measurements in 800 degrees C lab air. Preoxidation was found to inhibit Fe and Cr transport from the stainless steel into the coating and preoxidized samples exhibited a substantially thinner surface layer after oxidation. After ASR testing for 1650 h in 800 degrees C air, the trend of the preoxidized sample values remained level while trend of the non-preoxidized sample values showed an increase. Observed oxidation behaviors, their possible mechanisms, and implications for SOFC interconnects are presented and discussed. Copyright (C) 2011, Hydrogen Energy Publications, LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.