Material Corrosion and Catastrophic Failures

Investigating material failures related to corrosion is as complex as it is common. Understanding corrosion can be difficult due to the number of potential corrosion processes and the variety of potential operating environments. Chemicals, water, and bacteria can all lead to material corrosion, which can result in shortened lifetimes or catastrophic failures.

Envista Corrosion Experts

Corrosion involves the chemical interaction between materials and the environment they are in. Corrosion occurs on metals as well as on polymeric materials and ceramics.

The causes of corrosion are as varied as the materials it occurs on. Corrosion can occur over the entire surface of a material. It can also be localized, occurring only at specific sites like pits, crevices, or even under paint if a small hole forms within and allows contaminants to penetrate. Types of corrosion include:

• Galvanic corrosion, which is when two electrochemically dissimilar metals have electrical contact and are exposed to an electrolyte
• Environmental cracking mechanisms like stress corrosion cracking, hydrogen-induced cracking, or liquid metal embrittlement
• Flow-assisted corrosion, which occurs when there is high-speed flow, impinging flow, or cavitation
• Dealloying, which occurs when one element in an alloy is disproportionately attacked in a metal (e.g. dezincification, where zinc is dissolved from brass, leaving a porous and weakened copper-rich material in its place)

From dissimilar metals and galvanic corrosion to hydrogen embrittlement, Envista Forensics experts can determine the corrosion mechanisms that have led to your component failures and provide you with a plan for future failure prevention.

Our specialists use tools like state-of-the-art X-ray and spectrometry equipment to identify corrosion constituents, pathways, and failure modes. We can examine and isolate various residues and other foreign deposits throughout the entire system where corrosion has occurred, and our metallurgical experts can assess the physical root cause of corrosion.