Corosion Testing

What Is Corrosion Testing?

Corrosion testing is a set of laboratory methods used to measure a material’s resistance to chemical or electrochemical degradation. By exposing samples to controlled environments—or by using electrochemical measurements—corrosion testing provides objective performance data for:

base metals and alloys
protective coatings and conversion layers
plated or anodized surfaces
welded joints and assemblies
metal–polymer or dissimilar-metal systems

Corrosion behavior often depends on alloy chemistry, microstructure, surface condition, coating integrity, and environmental exposure. Testing helps identify risks before they become costly field failures.

Why Corrosion Testing Matters

Corrosion can lead to:

loss of mechanical strength and structural integrity
leakage, fracture, or electrical failure
coating breakdown and cosmetic defects
warranty claims and product recalls
increased maintenance costs and downtime

Corrosion testing helps you:

qualify materials and coatings before launch
validate process changes (plating, passivation, heat treatment)
compare suppliers and batches
investigate corrosion-related failures and root cause
improve durability in real service environments

Common Corrosion Mechanisms We Evaluate

Depending on your application, corrosion testing may focus on:

Uniform corrosion (general material loss)
Pitting corrosion (localized attack)
Crevice corrosion (under gaskets, fasteners, overlaps)
Galvanic corrosion (dissimilar metals in contact)
Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) (stress + corrosive environment)
Corrosion under coatings (coating defects, porosity, underfilm corrosion)

Typical Corrosion Testing Approaches

The best method depends on your material, environment, and target standard. Common approaches include:

Accelerated Exposure Testing

Used to simulate harsh environments and compare corrosion performance quickly.

Salt spray / salt fog testing (common for coatings and plated parts)
Cyclic corrosion testing (more realistic cycles of wet/dry, salt, humidity)
Humidity exposure
Immersion tests in selected solutions (application-dependent)

Electrochemical Corrosion Testing

Used to quantify corrosion tendencies and compare surface/coating performance.

corrosion potential and related electrochemical behavior
evaluation of coating protection effectiveness
comparative screening between materials, treatments, or suppliers

Coating & Surface Evaluation (Before/After Corrosion)

To understand failure mechanisms, corrosion testing may be combined with:

surface analysis and contamination checks
coating thickness and integrity assessment
microscopy evaluation of pits, cracks, and corrosion products
compositional analysis of corrosion residues

Typical Application Scenarios

Material Selection & Design Validation

Compare alloy options for marine, outdoor, chemical, or humid environments
Evaluate dissimilar metal combinations to reduce galvanic risk
Validate design features that influence crevice corrosion

Coating and Plating Qualification

Compare coating systems, conversion coatings, anodizing, or plating processes
Confirm corrosion performance after process changes
Identify weak points such as edges, scratches, porosity, or adhesion issues

Supplier Qualification & Quality Control

Verify incoming material and surface treatment consistency
Monitor batch-to-batch corrosion resistance
Set acceptance criteria for corrosion performance

Failure Analysis & Root-Cause Investigation

Determine why corrosion occurred early or unexpectedly
Compare “good vs. failed” samples
Identify corrosion products and sources of contamination
Recommend corrective actions to prevent recurrence

Sample Types

Xinbodi corrosion testing can support:

metal coupons and standardized test panels
coated/plated parts and assemblies
fasteners, brackets, housings, and machined components
welded joints and heat-affected zones
customer-specific geometries (case-dependent)

If you have field-failed components, we can evaluate both as-received condition and controlled test exposures to replicate failure behavior.

What You Will Receive

Each corrosion testing project includes a structured report designed for technical and business decisions. A typical report includes:

test objective, sample description, and test plan
exposure conditions and duration (as applicable)
observations and performance grading (photographic documentation when relevant)
comparison summary (supplier vs. supplier, batch vs. batch, before vs. after treatment)
interpretation of likely corrosion mechanism(s)
recommendations for material/coating/process improvements
suggested follow-up testing when needed
(e.g., surface analysis, compositional analysis, coating integrity checks)

Why Choose Xinbodi for Corrosion Testing?

Application-driven test planning aligned with your real service environment
Ability to connect corrosion behavior to surface condition, coatings, and materials chemistry
Experience supporting both R&D qualification and failure investigations
Clear reporting with actionable conclusions, not just photos or raw results
Confidential handling of proprietary materials and customer data