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.
Corrosion and mechanics
Stress corrosion cracking, hydrogen embrittlement, corrosion fatigue, and environmentally assisted cracking: these phenomena affect a wide range of materials, including high-strength steels, aluminum alloys, titanium alloys, and nickel-based superalloys. They are relevant across diverse sectors such as automotive, aerospace, energy, and the oil and gas industry.
Gaseous hydrogen laboratory
A facility dedicated to testing under pressurized gaseous hydrogen, enabling work with pure hydrogen or hydrogen contaminated with pollutants representative of industrial conditions.
Liquid and gaseous ammonia laboratory
A recently commissioned facility in Saint-Étienne (operational since 2024), dedicated to assessing material compatibility with liquid and gaseous ammonia under conditions representative of transport, storage, and combustion applications.
Toxic and explosive gas laboratory
Dedicated to assessing materials in the presence of corrosive and toxic gases, this laboratory holds ATEX certification and is equipped with highly secure facilities for testing in environments containing H₂S, complex gas mixtures, and explosive or flammable atmospheres.
High-temperature laboratory
A dedicated unit for studying corrosion and material degradation under high-temperature gaseous atmospheres, supporting the energy sector (combustion of new gases, biomass, refractory alloys).
Characterization tools
We deploy state-of-the-art characterization tools to analyze and understand corrosion and material degradation mechanisms across all relevant scales.