Infrastructure and equipment
The French Corrosion Institute draws on a set of experimental facilities unique in Europe, designed to faithfully reproduce the most severe service conditions. Our test platforms — whether dedicated to high-pressure media, marine environments, soils, controlled atmospheres, toxic gases or real-time monitoring — cover an exceptionally wide range of operating conditions. Each facility is designed to meet standards requirements and the specific needs of our industrial partners, from routine testing through to bespoke developments.
Seawater
laboratory
Strategically located in Brest, our laboratory benefits from continuous access to natural seawater for tests of unrivalled reliability. We test your materials and equipment (heat exchangers, pumps, umbilicals) in seawater regulated from 4 °C to 90 °C, with the option of specific treatments (chlorination, deaeration). Our flexible facilities, compliant with ISO standards, also integrate data acquisition systems to model the corrosivity of all the world’s seas.
Soil
laboratory
Specialised in the corrosion of buried structures, our laboratory carries out tests in natural soils, synthetic soils or sediments, in controlled chambers or on site with remote monitoring. We characterise corrosivity in accordance with current standards (DIN 50929-3) and analyse complex interactions (biocorrosion, differential aeration). Thanks to our custom sensors and cathodic disbondment cells, we validate the performance of your materials and coatings against specific geochemical aggressiveness.
Climatic chambers
For your material qualifications, we deploy a complete range of environmental simulation chambers. From salt spray to complex thermal cycles (-40 °C to +350 °C) and UV ageing, we reproduce the most severe conditions. Our equipment includes a 4-gas chamber (atmospheric pollutants) and a “walk-in chamber” for large parts, ensuring the reliability of your coatings against climatic and chemical attack.
Exposure site
To guarantee the performance of your materials under real conditions, we operate a worldwide network of exposure sites (Europe, Asia, Middle East). From temperate marine climates (C5M) to tropical or desert environments (intense UV, abrasion), we cover the full climatic spectrum. Our sites are rigorously characterised in accordance with ISO 9223/9226, an expertise we also offer to qualify the severity of your environments.
Cathodic protection
A cornerstone of corrosion control, this department offers complete expertise: from the design of installations to on-site audits and through to modelling. We develop innovative monitoring sensors and operate test benches to optimise the effectiveness of impressed-current or sacrificial anode protection, while also providing certified training for your teams.
Severe environments
Handling toxic or highly corrosive fluids (H₂S, “sour service”, concentrated acids) requires high-safety facilities. Our specialised laboratory enables the qualification of your materials in these critical environments, assessing in particular stress corrosion cracking resistance (SSC/HIC) to prevent major risks in the chemical and extractive industries.
Bespoke services
Because every industrial environment is unique, we go beyond standard tests. We design and build custom test rigs that faithfully reproduce your specific service conditions (complex geometries, aggressive fluids, combined mechanical loading). This flexible approach allows us to validate your innovations and address R&D challenges that no off-the-shelf test can cover.
Industrial corrosion diagnosis
In the event of a failure, or to audit your installations, our experts deploy on site for a full diagnosis. Combining field inspections with laboratory investigations (metallography, chemical analysis), we pinpoint the root cause of the damage. We transform these analyses into operational recommendations to halt corrosion, secure your assets and optimise your maintenance plans.