We offer the following high-end services and know-how to your specialized needs:

• Corrosion Managment & Failure Analysis

• Corrosion Tests

• Differential Scanning Calorimetry / Differential Thermal Analysis (DSC / DTA)

• Electron Probe Microanalysis (EPMA / WDX)

• High Speed Imaging

Please consult the indicated contact person for detailed information.

Our laboratory is a national competence center for the investigation of corrosion failure cases and the development of corrosion prevention strategies. On the basis of our long years of practical experience in environmental corrosion, microanalysis and corrosion protection, we offer high-end services to reveal the causes for corrosion failures in the following domains:

• Civil Engineering: Buildings (supporting structures), Bridges (tension cables, reinforced concrete), Tunnels (supporting structures, operating infrastructures)
• Steel construction / Architecture: Ceilings, facades (anchoring elements), Balconies, terraces (steel constructions), indoor swimming pools (suspended ceilings, technical installations), windows (mounts)
• Mechanical engineering / Plants: Machine components (bearings, shafts, gears, etc.), Cranes (ropes), Plants (manufacturing facilities)
• Building technologies: Heating units, heat-exchangers, water-supply, air conditioning facilities, elevators
• Transportation: Railways, aviation, cable cars
• Industrial Products, Packaging

On the basis of the thus-obtained knowledge, we formulate measures to prevent corrosion in future applications.

Your contacts: Dr. Markus Faller, Dr. Martin Tuchschmid, Martin Sauder

Corrosion tests are widely used to evaluate corrosion resistance of metallic components and surface coatings under realistic operation conditions. We offer a broad range of standardized corrosion and electrochemical tests both in environmental chambers and in the field, including:

• Test with condensation-water atmosphere according to EN ISO 6270-1 and 6270-2.
• Test with sulphur dioxide with condensation according to EN ISO 6988.
• Salt spray test (neutral solution) according to EN ISO 9227.
• Field corrosion tests at different corrosive test sites in Switzerland according to EN ISO 8565.
• Immersion test according to DIN 50 905 (part 1 to 4).
• Corrosion test for engine coolants according to ASTM D1384.
• Determination of rust-prevention characteristics of lubricating greases (EMCOR-Test) according to DIN 51 802 or ISO 11007.
• Standardized electrochemical tests according to DIN 50 918 and DIN 50 919.
• Test of copper alloys for stress corrosion cracking according to DIN 50 916 (part 1 and 2) and EN ISO 196.
• Determination of intergranular attack of stainless steels according to ASTM A262 and EN ISO 3651 (part 1 and 2).
• Determination of dezincification resistance of copper alloys according to ISO 6509.

If specific corrosion conditions are not covered by our standardized corrosion tests, we can design corrosion tests for your specialized applications.

Your contact: Dr. Markus Faller

Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) is one of the most frequently employed Thermal Analysis methods. It can be used to analyse nearly all energetic effects occurring in a solid or liquid during thermal treatment (e.g. phase transformation enthalpies, grain growth, solidus and liquidus temperatures) . The NETZSCH DSC 404 C Pegasus® operates according to the heat flux principle. Using this method, a sample and a reference are subjected to a controlled temperature program (heating, cooling or isothermal within the temperature range from RT – 1500°C). The actual measured properties are the temperature of the sample and the temperature difference between sample and reference.

Your contact: Dr. Liliana Duarte, Nico Weyrich

We offer non-destructive chemical analysis of your sample materials down to the micrometer scale by electron probe microanalysis (EPMA/WDX, SuperProbe JXA-8800 Series). The method allows an accurate quantitative determination of the chemical composition of all types of material surfaces and cross-sections with high spatial resolution (1 micrometer). All elements with atomic no. 5 or higher (i.e. including light elements such as O, C, and N) can be measured with a detection limit between 10 and 500 ppm. Various types of measurements can be conducted, such as spot analyses, line scans (concentration profiles) and elemental distribution maps.

Your contact: Dr. Liliana Duarte

For the detailed analysis of transient events, our laboratory provides a high speed camera. The camera (model HG-100K by Readlake) allows a recording speed up to 100.000 frames per second (fps) at reduced resolution (see manual). At the maximum resolution of 1504 x 1128 pixels, the camera provides a maximum recording speed of 1000 fps. With its fast electronic shutter, the camera allows to eliminate motion blurr and its robust design withstands accelerations up to 100 g. The model has been successfully used to:

• Investigate the fracture behavior in quasistatic and cyclic loading experiments.
• Monitor brazing and welding processes in real-time.
• Investigate image correlations to characterize the cyclic deformation behavior of brazed steel joints.
• Capture fast motions in sports.

The camera can be rent with an operator.

Your contact: Dr. Michael Koster