Corrosion Testing

Corrosion Testing of Materials

Matergenics performs standard and non-standard corrosion tests for evaluation of materials for underground, atmospheric , chemical process and aerospace applications. Quality control tests are also performed. Specific attention is given to scientific and technical concepts behind accelerated corrosion tests and their relationship with real-world aerospace service environments. Acceleration factors are based on an accurate scientific description of the corrosion failure process. Several requirements must be addressed in the usefulness of accelerated testing in life expectancy determination. A primary requirement is that the corrosion failure mechanism(s) should be the same as those which occur under normal service conditions. Otherwise, the test lacks validity with regard to simulating the service environment. A second key requirement is that sufficient scientific understanding of the failure mechanism should be available so that the test data can be analyzed and interpreted in a physically meaningful way. We are well aware of shortcomings of the American Society for Testing and Materials’ ASTM B117-11 salt spray (fog) test as a predictor of the service lifetime of aerospace materials. We are one of the few laboratories that perform ASTM B845 mixed flowing gas environmental pollutant test to simulate the actual atmospheric exposure conditions of aerospace components. Our electrochemical AC/DC testing along with ASTM G71-81 galvanic corrosion testing and ASTM G44-99(2005) alternate immersion testing will provide the client high confidence test procedures to estimate and determine the corrosion behaviour of aerospace and aircraft materials in given environment.

Accelerated Corrosion Testing: Accelerated corrosion testing is used for various purposes to simulate the conditions that a product will be exposed to in actual service conditions. As the performance of a product is often linked to the service environment where it is placed, it is of the utmost importance that products are manufactured taking the various aspects of inclement weather and corrosive environmental conditions into consideration.

The use of laboratory exposure testing provides manufactures and suppliers with an advanced understanding of the limitations of the components used in manufactured products prior to the purchase and or inclusion of these products in a larger component of final product. This forward thinking approach not only limits the time, energy and income spent of inferior products but also limits the risk of losing market position, clientele and customers due to inferior product performance. In a nutshell, accelerated corrosion testing is used to induce corrosion and failure in a relatively short period of time when compared to corrosion produced as a natural occurrence. This provides the means for decision makers to tweak, redesign using alternate materials, or eliminate a particular supplier with inferior products altogether.

Corrosion experts at Matergenics are NACE Certified in corrosion, coating, cathodic protection, and materials selection with more than 30 years of experience in testing, inspection and mitigation of corrosion. We have installed numerous corrosion control and corrosion monitoring systems for industrial, commercial and residential applications.

Laboratory Equipment and Testing

Scanning electron microscope (SEM)
Elemental dispersive x-ray (EDS)
X-ray Diffraction (XRD)
Fourier transformer infrared (FTIR)
Optical light microscopy with digitized imagining (OLM)
Positive Material identification (PMI) / X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF)
Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS)
Electrochemical Corrosion Testing
Chemical analysis
Mechanical testing
Hardness / Microhardness Testing
Environmental testing
Mixed flow gas chamber
Salt spray testing
QUV testing
Immersion testing
MFG and Cabinet Testing

Our recent field investigations have included major condenser failures in West Virginia, failure of paint/galvanizing coatings on galvanized structural members of the Aloha stadium in Hawaii, analysis of failures of salt-water plumbing on a luxury yacht in Antigua, failures of cathodic protection systems in a submarine tunnel in Chesapeake Bay, failures of polyuria roofing systems in a university in south Florida, corrosion of lead-coated copper roofing in a government building in Illinois, and analysis of the incipient failure of concrete in the dome of the State Capitol building in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Our corrosion testing services cover a wide range of standard and customized tests such as:

General Exposure Tests
Stress Corrosion Cracking Tests
Environmentally-Assisted Corrosion Tests
Treated Wood Corrosion Tests
Cabinet Test
Electrochemical Test ASTM G61, ASTM G71..
Materials Selection Testing
CDT , Cathodic Disbondment Tests
Hydrogen Diffusion Tetss

Standard ASTM and NACE tests include:

ASTM G102: Calculation of Corrosion Rates and Related Information from Electrochemical Measurements
ASTM G44: Exposure of Metals and Alloys by Alternate Immersion in Neutral 3.5 % Sodium Chloride Solution
ASTM B117, ASTM G85, Salt Spray tets
ASTM G148: Evaluation of Hydrogen Uptake, Permeation, and Transport in Metals by an Electrochemical Technique

ASTM G31: Immersion Corrosion Testing of Metals
ASTM G5, G59, G61: Potentiodynamic Polarization tests
Corrosion Testing and Corrosion Control in Electrical, Telecom and Utility Manholes
ASTM G108: Electrochemical Reactivation (EPR) for Detecting Sensitization of AISI Type 304 and 304L Stainless Steels
ASTM D2247, D4585: Humidity Chamber Tests
ASTM G129: Slow Strain Rate Testing to Evaluate the Susceptibility of Metallic Materials to Environmentally Assisted Cracking
ASTM B827: Mixed Flowing Gas (MFG) Environmental Tests
ASTM G50: Atmospheric Corrosion Tests on Metals
ASTM F1624: Hydrogen Embrittlement Test
ASTM G106: Verification of Algorithm and Equipment for Impedance Measurements

WAPA E1214: Determining Corrosion of Metal in Contact with Treated Wood

Cabinet and Environmental Chamber Testing

An environmental test chamber artificially replicates conditions which machinery, materials, devices or components might be exposed to. It is also used to accelerate the effects of exposure to the environment, sometimes at conditions not actually expected.

Chamber testing involves testing and exposing products to various environmental conditions in a controlled setting. Climatic Chamber testing and Thermal Shock testing are part of chamber testing. Climatic Chamber testing is a broad category of ways to simulate climate or excessive ambient conditions exposure for a product or a material under laboratory-controlled yet accelerated conditions. On the other hand, Thermal Shock testing is used to simulate how materials will react when exposed to changes in extreme climatic conditions, such as going from extremely cold to extremely hot conditions in a very short period of time (usually only few seconds).

These conditions may include:

Temperatures and humidity
Immersion or alternate immersion
Salt Spray ASTM B117 and G85
Acid rain
Moisture or wetness and humidity
Mixed Flow Gas
Electrochemical
Cyclic corrosion testing ASTM G85
UV Damage and exposure to sun,

Manufactured samples, specimens, or components are placed inside the chamber and subjected to one or more of these environmental parameters to determine reliability or measure after-effects such as corrosion. In the case of machinery such as internal combustion engines, byproducts such as emissions are monitored.

Many of our chambers and laboratory set ups are set at a certain set of conditions. Others can be programmed to cycle through specified sequences of conditions.

Testimonials: American Airlines

“Matergenics is a new name in the world of materials science and corrosion engineering but it also has a famous owner Dr. Mehrooz Zamanzadah or Dr. Zee. He has provided technical support and development to the aerospace industry for many years. My association with him has been through US Airways and American Airlines (the largest airline in the world).

Approximately 18 years ago Dr. Zee’s team won the approval from various engine manufacturers to establish an engine chip and oil filter analysis program that reduced engine in flight shut downs (IFSD) to zero and is being used today on the entire fleet at the New American Airlines.

His team over the years has provided failure analysis tech support that saved US Airways millions of dollars in warranty claim against OEM aircraft manufacturers.
His team was called upon by both the FAA and NTSB to provide analysis were quick and accurate answers were needed to solve aircraft equipment failure issues.

Dr.Zee’s has been a major technical contributor to the US Airways/American Airlines carbon filters for the air quality program, evaluation of fuel filter clog due to microbial influence, and corrosion due to MIC influence.

And the Matergenics lab with all of its NACE approval and talented engineers and technicians has been the Corrosion Lab for The New American Airlines.”Bernie

Yonkovitz, Failure Analyst, American Airlines, 2018

We are here to help

We respond to all customers promptly by sending a technical proposal to address corrosion testing details, investigation and the proposal costs. If we need more information, our engineers will contact you.Whether you are a large corporation or a small enterprise, we will provide you with the attention you need and deserve. In so doing, we hope to work with you for many years to come.Please call Dr. Zee at 412-952-9441 and let us know how we can assist you in your corrosion investigation at our modern laboratory or on project site. Alternatively, you can send your request to info@matergenics.com.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

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