Corrosion & Materials Integrity

We are  a national competence center for the investigation of corrosion failures and the development of corrosion prevention strategies. The root cause of a material failure is often of combined chemical and mechanical nature. Hence we combine our knowledge on environmental corrosion mechanisms with long-term experiences in the fields of fractography, metallography and microstructural and chemical analysis.

CORROSION MANAGEMENT & MATERIALS INTEGRITY

We offer high-end services and failure analysis to exigent industrial needs in the following fields:

  • Determination of corrosion mechanisms and corrosive media by characterizations of the materials' microstructure and the corrosion products
  • Development of guidelines and recommendations for the prevention of recurrent corrosion fatalities
  • Investigations of the corrosion-resistance of novel metallic materials and functional coatings under extreme environmental or operating conditions through the design and application of certified corrosion tests
  • Field-investigations and chemical analysis of damages of metallic materials and components after impact of fire and chemical accidents

For requests, please contact: , Martin Tuchschmid

Other project leaders: , Alexandra Lau

LOCAL ELECTROCHEMISTRY

The investigation and formulation of the surface reactivity and corrosion mechanisms on modern metallic materials and their functional surfaces requires localized monitoring of electrochemical reactions at solid-liquid interfaces by state-of-the-art surface-analytical techniques (e.g. capillary methods, environmental AFM, photoelectrochemistry, impedance spectroscopy and Kelvin probe microscopy). The in-house development of advanced local electrochemical analysis techniques is a key activity in our lab.

We are particularly devoted to the development of user-friendly micro- and nano-capillary scanning techniques, which can be operated in aqueous (electrolytic) environments on a local scale (from the micrometre down to the nanometre range). Such advanced methods can, for example, reveal the crucial role of segregates, precipitates, defects and grain (or phase) boundaries on the local dissolution, reactivity, degradation and/or biocompatibility of advanced materials, coatings, metal implants and complex joined assemblies in electrolytic environments.

Your contacts:  Jan Kollender

Swiss, corrosion, corrosion management, corrosion protection, corrosion mechanism, pitting corrosion, pitting, stress corrosion cracking, crevice corrosion, implant corrosion, corrosion damage, corrosion analysis, corrosion testing, failure analysis, damage case, metallography, fractography, electrochemistry, microcapillary, hydrogen embrittlement, hydrogen analysis, service, advise, consult, inspection, expertise
Swiss, corrosion, corrosion management, corrosion protection, corrosion mechanism, pitting corrosion, pitting, stress corrosion cracking, crevice corrosion, implant corrosion, corrosion damage, corrosion analysis, corrosion testing, failure analysis, damage case, metallography, fractography, electrochemistry, microcapillary, hydrogen embrittlement, hydrogen analysis, service, advise, consult, inspection, expertise
Swiss, corrosion, corrosion management, corrosion protection, corrosion mechanism, pitting corrosion, pitting, stress corrosion cracking, crevice corrosion, implant corrosion, corrosion damage, corrosion analysis, corrosion testing, failure analysis, damage case, metallography, fractography, electrochemistry, microcapillary, hydrogen embrittlement, hydrogen analysis, service, advise, consult, inspection, expertise

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