Metallography lab facilities
For the study and the analyze of corrosion of metals and alloys
The laboratory meets all the metallographic equipment and tests. These facilities are used for our services, such as expertise, study and analyses, and also for our R&D projects.
Samples preparation
We prepare samples in order to run corrosion and biocorrosion tests, or to realize metallographic analyses (after a test or for an expertise, analysis, etc.)
- Cutting equipment (chainsaws, saw)
- Coating-and-wrapping machine
- Polishing machine
For a metallographic analysis, the sample is cut in the interesting zone of the tested material, thanks to a disc or a diamond wire for a better precision.
The aim is to obtain a plane and polish surface (without any scratch). The sample is coated in a specific resin before a mechanical polishing in order to reach a surface’s roughness of less than one micron.
After the polishing, the sample can be submitted to a chemical or an electrolytic attack in order to reveal its microstructure.
The sample preparation is a primordial phase, particularly for an expertise to analyze damages and identify failures, but also to quantify corrosion.
Corrosion tests
Atmospheric tests
- Climatic chamber with a volume of 720L (humidityand temperature regulation)
- Salt spray test chamber
- Samples holder structures for exposition in natural atmosphere
Example: Material or coating ageing test.
Immersion tests
- Glass reactors (with or without temperature regulation system) with a volume from 20ml to 6000ml. In specific studies, volume could be superior.
- Tub from 100L to 1000L
- Temperature regulation system (water bath, cryostat, heating resistance,…)
Example:
– Metals and stainless alloys test corrosion in acid medium at 95°C (case of corrosion on all types of metals: alloys corrosion, stainless corrosion…)
– Corrosion rate characterization
Electrochemical test
- Potentiostat / galvanostat with or without impedance module
- Specifics electrochemical cells with three electrodes :
o Radiometer cells type BEC /EDI and CEC/TH
o Rotating disk electrode, counter electrode, reference electrode - Acquisition unity type Agilent multiplexer
Example:
– Determination of the pitting corrosion resistance and evaluation of the corrosion potential, the pitting potential and the repassivating potential of metals and alloys in a given medium.
– Continuous measurement and monitoring of the corrosion potential evolution on several samples of different materials (until 120) at the same time.
Metallographic analyses
- Stereo microscope
- Optical microscopes with image acquisition by camera system
- Scanning electron microscope (SEM) coupled with X-ray microanalysis (equipment of the technical platform of the University of Caen Normandy, based in Cherbourg).
Example: measuring the thickness of a metallic or organic coating
Physicochemical analyses
In addition to all the equipment in our laboratories, we also benefit to the physicochemical characterization equipment on the technical facilities of the University of Caen Basse-Normandie:
- Scanning electron microscope coupled to Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM / EDS)
- Micro-Raman spectroscopy
- X-ray diffraction
These technics are useful, for example, to identify the presence of exogenous elements and the nature of the compounds of corrosion products.
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