Corrosion testing
To limit the degradation of a material in service, evaluating the corrosion resistance is key. Whether this is failure analysis for future prevention or preliminary screening to evaluate material suitability, our experiences can help. For corrosion quantification, we offer the following testing expertise:
Exposure testing
As a basic analysis strategy, material exposure to the relevant environment can be used to evaluate the resistance of the material to corrosion in this environment. When studying environmentally assisted cracking, like stress-corrosion cracking, four-point constant extension (4PCE) can be performed. This exposure testing can be combined with weight-loss or microscopic observation (also see corrosion product analysis below).
Electrochemical corrosion testing
To gain further insights on the corrosion mechanism, several electrochemical testing methods are available, including potentiodynamic scan (PDS), cyclic polarization (CP) testing or even electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) or Mott-Schottky (M-S) measurements to get detailed information on the metal surface electrochemistry. Additional information can also be gained on localized corrosion phenomena, like pitting corrosion and galvanic corrosion.
These techniques provide extra information on the corrosion process and can be used for accelerated testing.
Testing within controlled flowing water environments is also possible within a rotating cylinder electrode (RCE) or segmented pipeline electrode (SPE).
Corrosion product analysis
For root-cause analysis in failure cases, investigation of acting corrosion (inhibition) mechanisms, post-mortem surface integrity or other post-submersion surface analysis, corrosion product investigation is typically an essential step in gaining understanding. This analysis can be performed by optical microscopy (LOM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD). Here, the choice often depends on the exact nature of the surface deposition.
Material screening (including standardized salt spray testing) or corrosion inhibitor testing
Don’t wait for your installation to start failing, perform adequate material screening before implementation. Our lab can perform several standard tests to appropriately screen materials:
- ASTM salt spray testing: both for material and coating screening
- Corrosion ranking of materials: via open circuit potential (OCP) or potentiodynamic scans (PDS) in the test environment relevant to the application.
- Inhibitor efficiency testing: corrosion inhibitor screening to optimize inhibitor dosing, testing applicability of inhibitors in relevant aqueous environments. This testing can also be executed in controlled flowing water environments to simulate industrial conditions.
CO2 exposure testing
Carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) integration requires material screening, as impurities like water, SOx, NOx… are typically present in the CO2 stream, which can cause unwanted corrosion consequences (up to 1000 mm of material loss per year!). Our lab can perform CO2 exposure testing in both aqueous environments as well as autoclave testing.
Other corrosion inquiries
The Sustainable Materials Science group possesses a ‘SME e-wallet’ (Kmo-portefeuille) profile, which allows entrepreneurs to get financial aid when contracting with us. More information
Is your corrosion issue or investigation more complex, or do you have further questions regarding our expertise and what we can do for you? contact our experts