What was the challenge or problem to solve?
Sometimes, when selecting a surface finish for a product, the visual appearance of the material is more important than its properties. As a result, the behaviour of the material may not be as expected and may lead to problems or failures.
This was the reason why the client contacted INFINITIA and told us about the need to choose the most suitable surface finish for a metallic material that was going to be exposed to corrosion. From the Materials Innovation area, we developed a research study whose objective was to establish a correlation between the different types of surface finishes on steel and its resistance to corrosion according to certain requirements and operating conditions.
How was it addressed or what was the solution?
Firstly, we designed and executed a series of electrochemical tests using a potentiostat, with the aim of evaluating the corrosion resistance of the material. The advantage of this type of test compared to other traditional methods is the reduction in time and the increase in reproducibility, as the results obtained are quantitative. To guarantee the validity of the experiments, they were carried out in accordance with ISO 17475:2005.
We then studied the samples using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Visual inspection with this equipment allows us to observe the deterioration produced on the surface of the materials with a high resolution, so that differences that cannot be seen with the naked eye can be observed.
With the data obtained, we produced a final report detailing the results of the behaviour of the surface finishes evaluated, and from which the customer selected the optimum finish for the manufacture of the product.