Testing facilities
Our testing equipment includes the following state-of-the-art equipment:
- Fully automatic multichannel potentiostats with Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy.
- High current battery testers (with EIS capabilities in each channel)
- Portable potentiostats for field measurements.
- FTIR laboratory
- Portable FTIR for site measurements.
Corrosion Testing
Electrochemical corrosion testing helps prevent harmful interactions between various metals and the environment. SFTec provides non-destructive and non-perturbative electrochemical techniques for corrosion testing, whose main advantages include:
- short experimental duration
- high sensitivity to low corrosion rates
- well-established theoretical understanding
Since a wide number of factors may affect corrosion behaviour and corrosion resistance, there is no universal corrosion test. But you can rely on our experience in corrosion testing. All our services are under most relevant and applicable standards, including
LPR is a quick and non–destructive electrochemical method, providing useful and reliable corrosion rate date.
In these method (ASTM G5, G59, G61), the potential is swept in a small range around the open–circuit potential, and the resulting current of the tested system is measured. The polarization resistance is represented by the slope of applied potential and the resulting current, following the Ohm’s law. The method provides two significant parameters over testing time, which cannot be obtained with standard EIS method:
- Ecorrosion, as the voltage generated by the corrosion process.
- Polarization resistance, relating corrosion intensity and corrosion rate.
Electrochemical Corrosion test methods
- Cyclic potentiodynamic polarization testing for medical devices, acc. to ASTM F2129
- Corrosion rates, acc. to ASTM G102
- Galvanic current measurement and monitoring, acc. to ASTM G71 (G82)
- Pitting and crevice corrosion resistance measurement acc. to ASTM G5, G150
- Electrochemical reactivation (sensitization of stainless steels), acc to ASTM G108
- Corrosion potential measurements ASTM G69
Galvanic corrosion occurs when two or more dissimilar metals (electrodes) are in electrical contact in the presence of a common corrosive electrolyte (e.g. seawater). When a galvanic couple forms, the less resistant material becomes the anode and the more resistant the cathode. The cathodic material corrodes slower than normal or not at all, while the corrosion of the anodic material is greatly enhanced.
SFTec provides galvanic corrosion tests in accordance with industry standards or client-specific standards for evaluating the behavior of metals and metallic coatings in accelerated corrosion environments.
Our corrosion testing laboratories carry out galvanic corrosion testing on combinations of metals and metallic coatings to evaluate the damage due to galvanic corrosion.
SFTec also perform specific electrochemical corrosion testing analysis to evaluate galvanic corrosion performance of two or more dissimilar metals when electrically connected in a selected environment using three main test categories:
- Sensitive galvanic current measurement using Zero Resistance Ammetry (ZRA)
- Galvanic series determination
- Preferential weld corrosion
The hydrogen permeability of dense metallic membranes is strictly related to their lattice structure, as well to the presence of lattice defects, and to their reactivity with H2 or other feed stream gases.
SFTec performs hydrogen permeation tests according to ASTM G148, or other customer standards.
Corrosion susceptibility can be assessed by a wide range of methods, with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy being of particular interest as it provides fast and accurate performance data.
SFTec performs Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) tests according to ISO 16773, or other customer standards.
Coatings characterization
Characterization of cured coatings is used to test the suitability of the material selected/used in a project or to perform failure investigations through chemical and physical property testing.
Coating testing and analysis are also very helpful to support the development of new formulations.
In our lab, we can perform the following tests:
SFTec offers an entire portfolio of physical testing, including standard test methods (ASTM, ISO) to help understand the coating’s durability and performance, including coating thickness, density, hardness, scratch resistance, adhesion property testing, opacity, and thermal and rheological properties.
- Coating film thickness measurements with NDTs, DTs or ultrasound testing (acc. to ISO 19840, ISO 2808)
- Mechanical-technological test methods (mandrel bending test, cross-cut test, (multi-) impact test)
- Optical methods:
- colour measurements (acc. to ISO 16644-4)
- gloss value and gloss haze determination (acc. to ISO 2813)
- Coating corrosion testings
- Sealant tests
- Adhesion tests (acc. to ISO 2409, ISO 4624, ASTM D4541)
- Chemical resistance (acc. to ISO 2812-2)
Spectroscopic techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR spectroscopy) or Raman spectroscopy provide chemical screening and identification of components. When used in product deformulation studies the data can help you to understand the competitor formulation and the raw materials used.
Our analytical and polymer scientists perform chemical analysis of coating formulations delivering valuable information to support either formulation development or competion product analysis.
- Identification and chemical composition (FTIR Spectrometry) at lab or on-site.
- Identification of binder systems and compositional analysis of coating materials
In SFTec coatings characterization lab we can perform the following tests:
- Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy EIS (ISO 16773) measures water uptake, barrier properties and performance of coatings providing coating service life predictions. Standard EIS give relevant results within three weeks (and it can be extended for even longer-term testing).
- Accelerated Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (ACET) (ISO 17463) Accelerated EIS (EIS via AC–DC–AC or ACET) allows comparing the protective and anti–corrosive properties of different coating systems on metal substrate in a very short time of 24 hours. This method consists in applying cycles of EIS, cathodic polarization and potential relaxation, to accelerate the degradation of the metal–coating system.
- Cyclic potentiodynamic polarization testing for medical devices ASTM F2129
- Linear Polarization Resistance (LPR) ASTM G5, G59, G61
- Galvanic current measurement and monitoring ASTM G71 (G82)
- Pitting and crevice corrosion resistance measurement ASTM G5, G150
- Electrochemical reactivation (sensitization of stainless steels) ASTM G108
- Corrosion potential measurements ASTM G69
Battery testing
SFTec battery testing laboratory features state-of-the-art equipment for the performance analysis of battery materials, cells or battery packs. We are capable of handling multiple charge/discharge tests and electrochemical characterization techniques (including EIS) at the same time.
Some available tests are:
- Assessment of cell parameters (capacity, internal resistance, power, equilibrium potential etc.)
- Ageing tests
- Cycling tests (driving cycles, standard cycles)
- Assessment of parameter variance
Battery materials and cells
Extensive battery and material testing capabilities with multichannel equipment:
Wide range
Maximum voltage per channel: ±10V
Maximum charge/discharge current per channel: ±20 A
High precision equipment
Equipment suitable for Coulombic Efficiency testings:
- Minimum current resolution of 3fA
- Minimum potential resolution of 7nV
Multichannel capacity
8 channels (up to ±128A / channel)
Independent EIS
Independent EIS measurement in each channel
Battery packs testing
Possibility to perform charge/discharge and multiple electrochemical techniques to battery packs (including EIS).
Reinforced concrete materials
Our testing laboratory for reinforced concrete material evaluation is a specialized facility equipped with state-of-the-art laboratory and portable equipment and tools to assess the quality and durability of concrete structures and materials, employing advanced non-destructive testing (NDT) technologies such as Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to evaluate the properties of reinforced concrete.
EIS measures the electrochemical behavior of concrete and can detect the presence of corrosion and other forms of degradation, while FTIR is used to identify the chemical composition of concrete and to analyze its molecular structure. By using these advanced testing methods, the laboratory can accurately assess the strength and integrity of concrete structures, identifying potential defects and weaknesses that could compromise the safety and stability of the building.
SFTec laboratory is located in the Technologic and Cientific Park of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, in the canary islands, with access to natural sea-water close to the Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands (PLOCAN) . Here a wide range of multidisciplinary experiments under real marine environmental conditions and exposure regimes could be performed.
Some of these tests and experiments may include:
- Outdoor exposure weathering tests in a maritime (ISO 12944-2 C3 – C4) environment
- Coating testing in cyclic exposure (wet / dry, thermal shock) regimes in still or flowing natural seawater
- Coating tests under impressed current (cathodic disbonding tests) in sea water (ASTM G8, ASTM G95, ISO 15711)
- Coating tests during exposure to chemicals or reaction mixtures