Corrosion and environmental conditioning
Metallic materials, along with their treatments and finishes, can be subject to corrosive phenomena when exposed to certain atmospheric conditions. At TEC Eurolab, we conduct corrosion and environmental conditioning tests and trials.
Check the suitability of your materials by testing them in corrosive environments and/or at defined temperatures and humidity.
Corrosion is a process of gradual deterioration of a metallic material due to interaction with the surrounding environment, and can be accelerated by factors such as relative humidity, temperature, and the concentration of the corrosive agent in the environment. To assess the resistance of materials to these stresses, corrosion tests can be conducted according to specific standards, thus ensuring that materials can withstand critical conditions.
Through these corrosion tests, any weaknesses in materials can be identified, allowing improvements to be made or the suitability of the product for specific applications to be confirmed. In addition to these tests, materials and components can be conditioned to certain temperatures and humidity levels, subjected to UV and atmospheric conditioning tests, before proceeding with mechanical, chemical and functional tests. These steps are essential to ensure the durability and reliability of materials under various operating conditions.
Corrosion tests carried out in TEC Eurolab
At TEC Eurolab, we offer a wide range of corrosion tests designed to evaluate the resistance of metallic materials and their coatings when exposed to adverse environmental conditions. These corrosion tests are performed in accordance with rigorous international standards, such as those defined by ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) and ISO (International Organization for Standardization).
Testing and evaluation of corrosive phenomena
Corrosion tests are conducted to specifically determine the corrosion resistance of metallic materials.
Corrosion mechanisms, such as uniform corrosion, point corrosion, or intergranular corrosion, can then be evaluated with this type of testing.
The focus of the evaluation of corrosion phenomena is on the chemical or electrochemical degradation of materials, and its purpose is to prevent corrosion-related damage.
The corrosion tests and evaluation of corrosive phenomena that we perform in TEC Eurolab:
- Aluminum alloys corrosion test – ASTM Method G34 (72 hours)
- Oxalic acid etch corrosion test pr. a – ASTM Method A262
- Ferric sulf-sulfuric acid corrosion test-120h pr.b – ASTM Method A262
- Nitric acid corrosion test 48h-5 cycles pr. c – ASTM Method A262
- Cu-cu sulf16%sulfuric acid corrosion test 24h pr.e – ASTM Method A262
- Cu-cu corrosion test sulf50% sulfuric acid test 120h pr.f – ASTM Method A262
- Corrosion sodium hydroxide etch test – ASTM Method A923 (met a)
- Ferric chloride corrosion test 24h – ASTM Method A923 (met c)
- Ferric sulf-sulfuric acid corrosion test 24h – ASTM Method G28 (met a)
- Ferric sulf-sulfuric acid corrosion test 120h – ASTM Method G28 (met a)
- Mixed acid oxidating salt corrosion test 24h – ASTM Method G28 (met b)
- Ferric chloride corrosion pitting test 24h – ASTM Method G48 (met a)
- Ferric chloride corrosion pitting test 72h – ASTM Method G48 (met a)
- Ferric chloride crevice corrosion test 72h – ASTM Method G48 (met b)
Environmental conditioning analysis
Environmental conditioning analyses focus on how certain materials or products react when subjected to external environmental variables, such as temperature, humidity, solar radiation, atmospheric pressure and pollutants. This type of analysis is used to evaluate durability, functionality and stability of materials by simulating the environments to which they will be exposed during their life cycle. The purpose of environmental conditioning analysis is to evaluate the overall behavior of the material.
At TEC Eurolab we can perform the following environmental conditioning analyses:
- Powders: moisture content – Method EN 1097-5, ASTM D2216
- Moisture absorption and condition at equilibrium (every 168 h) – ASTM Method D5229, EN 2823
- Hydrogen disbonding conditioning only test – ASTM Method G146
- Cupro acetic salt mist – ISO Method 9227
- Acetic Salt Mist – ISO Method 9227
- Neutral salt spray – ISO Method 9227
- Neutral salt spray – ASTM Method B 117
Humidistatic - Climate rooms
- Uv condenser
- Xenon test
- Stove
- Thermal shock test
Corrosion testing and trials: materials and application industries
Corrosion tests and trials can be conducted on a wide range of materials, depending on the environment in which they will be used and their specific applications.
Metallic materials are certainly the most common materials to undergo corrosion testing, as they are very susceptible to degradation under certain environmental conditions. At TEC Eurolab we perform corrosion tests on all types of steel, aluminum alloys, copper and titanium alloys, zinc and nickel.
We are then able to subject polymeric materials such as Polyethylene (PE), Polypropylene (PP), PVC (polyvinyl chloride), Polycarbonate (PC), Nylon, Epoxy resins or other protective coatings to environmental conditioning tests; and composites such as carbon and glass fibers.
Also very important are the corrosion tests conducted on epoxy and powder coatings and anti-corrosive paints, which are tested precisely for their ability to protect the underlying materials from corrosion and to resist environmental wear and tear.
In terms of the industries involved, corrosion testing and trials are essential in areas such as:
- Automotive
- Aerospace
- Shipbuilding
- Infrastructure