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Laboratory

Corrosion Laboratory

Corrosion is a major threat to the durability, safety, and sustainability of materials and structures. At SINTEF’s advanced corrosion laboratories, we investigate complex degradation mechanisms to better understand and mitigate their impact. Through cutting-edge research and testing, we help extend product lifetimes, reduce energy use and emissions, optimize maintenance strategies, and enhance operational safety across multiple industries.

Contact person

Research areas

  • Atmospheric and aqueous corrosion
  •  Environmentally assisted cracking (SCC, SSC, HE)
  • Corrosion under insulation (CUI)
  • Microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC)
  • Corrosion fatigue
  • Corrosion protection including cathodic protection
  • Coatings (organic, metallic a.o.)

Laboratory based research:

  • Electrochemistry laboratory
  • Seawater laboratory
  • Facilites for testing with gasas as e.g. H2S gas and H2 gas
  • High-temperature / high-pressure autoclaves up to 200 °C / 300 bar
  • Exposure tests, both accelerated and field conditions
  • Tribo-Corrosion- and wear mechanisms as basis for materials development
  • Use of numerical simulations and neural network image analysis

Capabilities

  • Accelerated corrosion testing under controlled environmental conditions
  • Electrochemical analysis and corrosion mechanism characterization
  • Material selection and qualification for corrosive environments
  • Development and evaluation of corrosion-resistant coatings and inhibitors
  • Custom test configurations for industry-specific applications

Testing Methods

  • Salt spray testing (ISO 9227, ASTM G85)
  • Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS)
  • Potentiodynamic polarization
  • Slow strain rate testing (SSRT)
  • High-temperature and high-pressure corrosion testing

Equipment

  • Salt fog chambers and UV exposure Salt spray test chambers
  • UV chambers, Accelerated Weathering Tester
  • Electrochemical workstations and potentiostats
  • Environmental chambers for temperature and humidity control
  • Microscopes for surface and microstructural analysis
  • Autoclaves for high-pressure and high-temperature testing

Industry Applications

  • Oil and gas pipelines and facilities
  • Automotive and aerospace components
  • Infrastructure such as bridges and roadways
  • Energy systems including renewables and nuclear
  • Marine and offshore structures

Research approach

Collaboration & Approach

  • Strong collaboration within the SINTEF–NTNU–Industry triangle.
  • Research on corrosion and wear mechanisms as a foundation for advanced materials development.
  • Integration of numerical simulations and AI-driven image analysis for predictive insights.
Image 1: Crevice corrosion on stainless steel. Image 2: Degradation of protective coatings. Image 3: Sulphide stress cracking (SSC) in percent. Image 4: Aluminium corrosion

Contact information

Visiting address: Richard Birkelands vei 2 B, 7034 Trondheim