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AC/DC/AC method accelerates corrosion assessment of coatings
A recent review highlights how the electrochemical AC/DC/AC technique accelerates coating degradation, enabling rapid evaluation of corrosion resistance and long-term performance.
Image caption: The AC/DC/AC method accelerates coating degradation and provides early insights into failure mechanisms.
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Corrosion remains a major challenge for infrastructure and industrial assets worldwide. Organic coatings are widely applied to protect metallic substrates due to their cost-effectiveness, yet they gradually degrade over time, developing micro-cracks that compromise their protective function. To evaluate their performance, a range of testing methods is applied.
Among these, the AC/DC/AC method has emerged as a promising accelerated electrochemical approach. Based on the cathodic polarisation of the coating system, it intensifies ageing processes and speeds up degradation. This allows researchers to obtain valuable insights into long-term performance within a shorter testing period.
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Early detection and potential for wider use
The technique not only enhances predictive capability regarding coating lifespan, but also helps identify early failure modes and assess self-healing behaviour.
According to the review, the AC/DC/AC method shows strong potential to become a more widely adopted tool in corrosion assessment. However, challenges remain in terms of refining the approach and broadening its industrial applicability.
Source: Domalanta, M. R. B. et al., Accelerated corrosion assessment through the AC/DC/AC electrochemical method. Prog. Org. Coat. 203, 109166 (2025).
