D. Thierry

• Prof dr
• Senior Researcher at RISE Research Institutes of Sweden

Duplex stainless steel UNS1 S82551 tubing has been used since 2017 in Water Alternating Gas (WAG) injection wells on the Norwegian continental shelf. After approximately five years of operation, leaks were reported in two wells. Investigations were performed to determine the root cause of these failures, including a review of the metallurgy and flu...

New environmental regulations have led to major changes in aluminum corrosion protection by prohibiting, for example, Cr(VI). Thus, the assessment of the corrosion behavior of Cr-free systems under atmospheric conditions is a major topic of interest for the aerospace industry. One major difficulty in this task is the lack of robust and reliable acc...

Many systems can be converted and used for different applications not initially planned. This is the case for production wells, sometimes converted into water injection wells and for which the production tubing material selection is clearly not adapted for prolonged contact with natural seawater. Oxygen removal treatment must be applied but precise...

Hot‐dip Zn55Al‐coated steel samples have been exposed for up to 6 years at 11 different weathering sites, including marine, marine‐industrial, acid‐rain and dry atmospheres. From the mass loss measurements, Zn55Al metallic coating showed globally long‐term good corrosion resistance in all weathering conditions compared with hot‐dip Zn‐0.2Al‐coated...

Thanks to the members of RG and the work carried out by the Research Team, this paper reached 100 reads, 162 recommendations and 2 citations; we are very happy with this result.

Thanks to the members of RG and the work carried out by the Research Team, this paper reached 150 recommendations, 94 reads and 2 citations; we are very happy with this result.

The initial atmospheric corrosion of ZM (ZnAlMg)-coated steel in humid air (85% RH) and humid argon (85% RH) containing 320 ppb SO2 was studied using in situ infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (IRRAS), FTIR-ATR focal plane array (FPA) imaging and SEM-EDS. The corrosion products formed in humid air containing SO2 are mainly composed of magn...

In the present work, an industrial polyester coil-coated steel was characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) during immersion in a 0.5 M NaCl solution for different temperatures (30, 40, 50 and 60 °C). The objective was to propose a methodology to follow the ageing of the coil-coated system, from the first stage of water uptake...

The corrosion risk for stainless steel components is not the same in all seawaters, with more failures generally reported in tropical seas. In this study, the influence of biofilm on electrochemical behavior and corrosion resistance of passive films of high-grade alloys was studied in different seawaters, including temperate seawater (France-Brest,...

Scanning Kelvin probe (SKP) can be applied for mapping of subsurface hydrogen in steels. The good spatial resolution is combined with poor quantification. Controversy, the electrochemical permeation technique (EPT) is extremely sensitive to hydrogen flux but has low spatial resolution. Thus, a local hydrogen quantification method using SKP measurem...

Aluminum alloys are not immune to corrosion which can take the form of localized corrosion. Thus, the assessment of the corrosion behavior of aluminum alloys under atmospheric conditions is a major topic for the aerospace industry. One major difficulty in this task is the lack of robust and reliable accelerated corrosion test(s) in this field. Inde...

Austenitic stainless steels (SS) S30403 and S31603 are commonly used for the construction of wastewater treatment units. Considering the cost, good corrosion resistance, and higher mechanical properties, lean duplex SS are a good alternative to these austenitic grades, but they are too rarely chosen, probably due to a lack of case studies. The loca...

Cr‐free paints applied on different aluminum alloys were exposed for 5 years at different atmospheric weathering sites worldwide. By image analysis, the extent, and the type of corrosion (filiform or blistering) were determined after 1, 2, and 5 years. In that way, it was possible to rank the different systems as a function of their resistance to c...

Chlorination is widely used in seawater systems to avoid fouling. Free chlorine is a strong oxidizing agent that prevents the biofilm formation on immersed surfaces, when used above a certain content. However, the presence of residual chlorine associated with the high chloride content in seawater, significantly increases the risk of localized corro...

Aluminum alloys are not immune to corrosion which can take the form of localized corrosion. Thus, the assessment of the corrosion behavior of aluminum alloys under atmospheric conditions is a major topic for many applications including the aerospace industry. One major difficulty in this task is the lack of robust and reliable accelerated corrosion...

Thanks to their good corrosion resistance and ease to shape and weld, austenitic stainless steels (e.g. UNS S31603) are used as standard materials for the construction of urban wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). The main factors influencing the corrosiveness of the fluids in WWTP are halide concentration (more specifically chlorides), H2S content,...

A mechanistic model of atmospheric bimetallic corrosion with a simplified empirical approach to the onset of localized corrosion attacks is presented. The model was built for a typical bimetallic sample containing aluminum alloy 1050 and stainless steel 316L sheets. A strategy was developed that allowed the model to be calibrated against the measur...

Anticorrosive coatings are widely used to protect steel against corrosion. Different standards exist to access the corrosion performance of anticorrosive paints. Among them, the so-called neutral salt spray test (NSST-ISO 9227) or cycling corrosion tests ISO 12944-6, ISO 12944-9, NACE TM0304, or NACE TM0404 can be named. It is well-known that some...

Aluminum alloys are pickled and/or etched as a preliminary step prior to anodization or conversion coating. The chemistry of the etching/pickling process must be carefully engineered to avoid the enrichment of the alloying elements such metallic Cu which can interfere with subsequent treatments. Understanding and optimizing the etching process is t...

The microstructural corrosion mechanism of a zinc-magnesium-aluminium (ZMA) alloy coated steel (Zn- 2wt%- Al- 2wt% Mg) immersed in 0.17 M NaCl was observed using in-situ time-lapse optical microscopy. The effect of pH on the corrosion mechanisms was assessed by using 0.17 M NaCl adjusted to pH 3, 7, 10 and 13 respectively. The pH of the electrolyte...

The effect of two concentrations of H2S (0.5 and 2.5 ppm), in controlled laboratory conditions (20 °C, 75%RH), on the atmospheric corrosion of pure Ag, Cu and Ni was investigated in this study. The corrosion product morphology and composition were analysed through a multi-technique approach including SEM/EDX, Raman spectroscopy, XPS and XRD. Differ...

Monitoring of atmospheric pollutants is a key point for preventive conservation since these species are known to impact the integrity of many artifacts including metals, papers, pigment and textiles. The problem can be amplified in closed environments, like in exhibition rooms and showcases, where temperature and relative humidity gradients and lev...

This study investigated the corrosion behavior of AISI 316L produced by direct energy deposition (DED). Microstructural and chemical analysis showed a homogeneous distribution of Si and Si–Mn inclusions of 0.5–1 µm and the Cr and Mo enrichment within interdendritic areas. Scanning Kelvin probe analysis of additively manufactured stainless steel hig...

Cathodic protection (CP) metallic coupons are used under field conditions to control the CP efficiency of large structure such as buried pipelines and embedded tanks. These coupons aim at reproducing coating defects with a known geometry and surface. They are usually installed at several locations to assess the CP efficiency. Their potential can be...

Aluminum alloys are known to have many advantages (e.g., light weight and low cost) but they are not immune to corrosion. So, it is important to assess their corrosion behavior, in particular under atmospheric conditions. To protect aluminum alloys against corrosion, paints are generally applied onto the materials. Corrosion protection in the aeros...

The corrosion risk for stainless steel components is not the same in all seawaters, with more failures generally reported in tropical seas. In this study, the influence of biofilm on electrochemical behavior and corrosion resistance of passive films of high-grade alloys was studied in different seawaters, including temperate seawater (France-Brest,...

Stainless steels are successfully used in the range of water compositions encountered during wastewater treatment. Austenitic stainless steels are the most often used grades in water treatment applications. S30403 and S31603 are known to be suitable for municipal and industrial wastewater with respectively moderate and increased chloride contents....

Under operating conditions, alternated loading and fatigue are encountered, controlling the durability and safety of components and structures made of super duplex stainless steel (SDSS). In particular, the use of a cathodic protection (CP) system to protect the structure against corrosion can induce hydrogen charging of the SDSS. Thus, the aim of...

The surface reactivity and the elemental dissolution of a high-strength aerospace alloy (AA7449-T651) during acid pickling was investigated with element-resolved electrochemistry (AESEC). The results demonstrated a sequential dissolution of Mg, Al, Zn and Cu, following the order of their respective galvanic reactivity in common acid pickling soluti...

Hydrogen permeation through high strength DP1180 steel was studied by Scanning Kelvin Probe (SKP) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The XPS analyses showed that hydrogen desorption from the steel increased the ratio Fe(II)/Fe(III) related to oxide film reduction. In parallel, a drop of the electrochemical potential in the oxide film was m...

Titanium and alloys thereof are widely utilized for biomedical applications in the fields of orthopedics and dentistry. The corrosion resistance and perceived biocompatibility of such materials are essentially related to the presence of a thin passive oxide layer on the surface. However, during inflammation phases, the immune system and its leukocy...

The micro-galvanic interactions between Cu-Fe-Mn-Li-containing aluminides and the alloy matrix of aluminium alloy AA2099 during chloride-induced corrosion were investigated in-situ with real-time monitoring of the local contact potential difference (VCPD) using the scanning Kelvin probe force microscopy (SKPFM) at controlled relative humidities. Th...

In the last two decades, it turned out that zinc-magnesium and zinc-magnesium-aluminum show improved corrosion stability when compared to traditional zinc coatings. However, there is a strong interest to investigate alloying elements in addition to magnesium and aluminum and to evaluate their potential to enhance the corrosion protection provided b...

It is well known that the surface state (cleanliness, composition) of galvanized steel prior to the application of an organic coating is an important parameter. The surface state will affect the adhesion properties of the complete system and therefore will also impact its corrosion resistance and its tendency to blistering. Before the application o...

With lower alloying costs and higher mechanical properties, lean duplex stainless steels can be a good alternative to the more commonly used austenitic stainless steels. A study was initiated to define the limits of the use of lean duplex stainless steels for urban wastewater treatment (WWT) units. This paper gives and discusses the corrosion resul...

Ti6Al4V surfaces were exposed to simulated inflammation conditions in H2O2-containing phosphate buffered saline with and without FeCl3. Scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed significantly different degradation modes for the α and β phases. While the α grains are covered by a ca. 400 nm thick protective nanostructured oxide layer, the attac...

The control of air quality in museums or storages is of fundamental interest for the conservation of historic artifacts. The present work reports an example of application of RFID sensors developed in the European project SensMat and dedicated to this issue. The sensors are based on the variation of property of an RFID tag coupled with a sensitive...

The effects of cathodic polarisation switch-off on the passivation of AISI 304L stainless steel in air and its crevice corrosion susceptibility in 3.5 wt.% NaCl aqueous electrolyte were investigated. Scanning Kelvin probe (SKP) data showed that the oxide film is significantly destabilised and the rate of steel passivation in air is slowed down. The...

Specimens of AA2099-T8 were immersed for different times ranging from 2 to 180 min in 0.1M NaCl. The development of corrosion around intermetallic particles was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDXS). The degradation evolution of each major intermetallic particle after exposure of the alloy to...

The control of air quality in museums or storages is of fundamental interest for the conservation of historic artifacts. The present work reports an example of application of RFID sensors developed in the European project SensMat and dedicated to this issue. The sensors are based on the varia-tion of property of an RFID tag coupled to a sensitive s...

Sacrificial aluminum-indium anode cathodic protection is commonly used for protecting offshore and subsea structures. As a consequence, all metallic fasteners are hydrogen charged under high tensile stresses at the thread roots. This means that material selection must prevent the occurrence of hydrogen stress cracking (HSC) under these conditions....

In the present work, an industrial polyester coil-coated steel sample was characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The diagrams were obtained for various immersion times in a 0.5 M NaCl solution for three different initial states of the same coil coating (as received, dried and dried after the impedance measurements). The aim of the...

Carbon steel samples covered with initially crack-free zinc-nickel coatings were polarized with a small anodic overpotential in moderately alkaline NaCl solution. Along with zinc dissolution, the coatings developed a mud-crack pattern due to tensile stress release, allowing the electrolyte to access the underlying steel surface. Simonkolleite grew...

In seawater injection wells, the available well tubing materials are generally Low alloy steel, Glass Reinforced Epoxy lined low alloy steel or Corrosion Resistant Alloy’s (CRA) such as super duplex stainless steel. However, in treated seawater the corrosion risk can be controlled and lower grade alloys (low alloy steel) can be considered. But for...

With lower alloying cost and higher mechanical properties, lean duplex stainless steels can be an alternative to the more commonly used austenitic stainless steels. However, these alloys are still not the preferred choice, probably due to a lack of field experience. A study was thus initiated in view of defining the limits of use of selected (lean)...

In this study, the use of electrical resistance (ER) sensors to monitor the corrosion of Al 94 Cu 6 alloy is assessed and compared with 2024-T3 coupons. Under uniform corrosion, a good correlation was found between the ER sensors and mass loss on coupons. Three different chloride depositions are studied: (i) pre-contamination with dry/wet cycles, (...

Spectroscopic imaging of water at the substrate / polymer interface was demonstrated by a new experimental set-up based on FTIR-ATR focal plane array (FPA) imaging and simultaneous electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements. The local distribution of water at the substrate / polymer interfacial region could be imaged with a lateral resolut...

Tribocorrosion combines mechanical wearing and electrochemical alloy dissolution from the worn surface. Thus, many parameters related to surface activation and interaction of the formed surface with electrolyte will determine the rate of tribocorrosion. This chapter reviews the application of different local electrochemical techniques to study the...

Scanning Kelvin Probe was applied to study passivation of AISI 304 L stainless steel after cathodic polarisation. The rate of passivation in air decreased as a function of duration and current density. X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy showed enrichment of the surface film by hydroxides of Fe (II) that was the result of hydrogen effusion from the bu...

Organic coating is an efficient method to protect metal surfaces from corrosive atmospheres but is dependent on the presence of a stable interface between the substrate and the polymer coating. However, coatings based on polymers have mostly only limited barrier properties for water and oxygen. Transport of water to the interfacial region is for mo...

Magnesium has gained considerable interest as a structural material for automotive and aerospace applications due to its low density and high specific strength. The use of magnesium alloys in engineering applications is, however, mainly limited by their unsatisfactory surface properties and their poor corrosion resistance. In recent years, signific...

Sensitized AA5083-H2 was exposed to chloride-laden thin-film electrolyte at ambient temperature (20-85% relative humidity) and the local Volta potential measured, in-situ and in real-time, using the Scanning Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy, with the intention to elucidate the earliest stage of localized corrosion . Positive Volta potentials (vs matri...

The environmental corrosiveness is governed for indoor applications by the presence of gaseous pollutants in air and levels of temperature and relative humidity. Its determination is a challenging task and requires the monitoring of thickness reduction of selected metals in the range of few tens of nanometers. The present work aims at developing an...

This study aims to elucidate the behavior of diffusible hydrogen and delayed fracture in martensitic steel with 1500 MPa strength during automotive painting process and under vehicle service conditions. A sequential process of automotive pretreatment line and vehicle service environment is simulated to evaluate the hydrogen pick up in each process....

The constant change in coating technology and environmental regulations has led to the development of low-solvent to solvent-free organic coatings, such as powder and high-solid coatings. These two technologies are well developed, but are still not the preferred choice when considering anticorrosive coating for marine and offshore applications. Thi...

Many parameters may influence the corrosion and the cathodic protection current demand in natural seawater. These are potential, temperature, dissolved oxygen content, biofilm and fouling activity, hydrostatic pressure and calcareous deposit formation. In this study, the influence of the exposure depth on the corrosion, cathodic protection current...

The reactivity of a Zn-Al-Mg galvanized steel substrate was monitored during a two-step conversion coating sequence with an alkaline pretreatment followed by conversion coating with hexafluorozirconic acid (H2ZrF6). The main effect of alkaline pretreatment was to remove initial oxides and to selectively dissolve Al, limiting the dissolution of Al i...

In the context of the high‐level radioactive waste disposal CIGEO, the corrosion rate due to microbially influenced corrosion (MIC) has to be evaluated. In France, it is envisaged to dispose of high‐ and intermediate‐level long‐lived radioactive waste at a depth of 500 m in a deep geological disposal, drilled in the Callovo‐Oxfordian claystone (Cox...

The environmental corrosiveness is governed for indoor applications by the presence of gaseous pollutants in air and levels of temperature and relative humidity. Its determination is a challenging task and requires the monitoring of thickness reduction of selected metals in the range of few tens of nanometers. The present work aims at developing an...

Hydrogen in combination with mechanical stress can lead to rapid degradation of high-strength steels through environmentally assisted cracking mechanisms. The scanning Kelvin probe (SKP) was applied to automotive martensitic steel grade MS1500 in order to detect local reactivity of the surface after hydrogen uptake and tensile deformation. Hydrogen...

Hot-dipped galvanised (HDG) steel and Zn5Al-coated steel were exposed for 6 years at different atmospheric weathering sites worldwide. The mass loss of the coatings has been measured after 1, 2, 4 and 6 years of exposure. In addition, corrosion products have been determined using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and FTIR spectroscopy...

The degradation of sputtered columnar ZnO layers under DC polarization was studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and electron microscopy. It was found that the structure of the as-deposited ZnO film was dense at the nanoscale. An equivalent circuit model including a de Levie impedance accounted for the localized propagation of microscal...

In this study, the cathodic activity of biofilmed stainless-steel surface was investigated at two exposure depths at the same location at 1020 and 2020 m depth. For this purpose, a set of passive materials, and sensors were exposed during 11 months in Azores in Atlantic Ocean. Characteristic cathodic depolarizations due to biological activity were...

There are many potential causes of corrosion in animal buildings. Animals exhale large quantities of moisture into the air creating high relative humidity in the building if the moisture is not properly vented. High humidity increases the potential for condensation. In addition, ammonia may be found in large quantities in animal buildings. Ammonia...

The effect of biofilm formation on passive stainless steel in seawater environments is of primary importance since it leads to potential ennoblement of surfaces and subsequently to localized corrosion such as pitting and crevice corrosion. This study aims at developing an ecofriendly alginate biopolymer containing both non-toxic calcium and a limit...

Potential influence of microorganisms on the corrosion of the carbon steel in the French high and intermediate level long-lived nuclear waste disposal context E. Diler (1), V. Leblanc (2), H. Gueuné (2), N. Larché (1), V. Deydier (3), Y. Linard (3), D. Crusset (3) and D. Thierry (1) (1) Institut de la Corrosion, Brest, France (2) Corrodys, Cherbour...

Zinc oxide (ZnO) films with nano-granular structure were deposited by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering. The absence of preferred orientation was verified by XRD. HAADF-STEM micrographs revealed a nanoporous structure with pore size and grain size around 10 nm. The narrowness of the pores enabled to approximate that oxygen reduction takes place...

The ennoblement of stainless steel (e.g., the increase of open circuit potential [OCP]) is associated with bacterial colonization. This increases the risk of localized corrosion as the critical pitting/crevice potential can be overcome, especially for lower grade stainless steel. In this study, we assessed the influence of dissolved oxygen content...

Industrial coatings are composed of layers of different polymers (top coats, primers) containing pigments, corrosion inhibitors, and fillers as well as additives. For corrosion protection, it is vitally important to preserve the strong adhesion and long-term stability of the metal-polymer interface in corrosive environments. In recent decades, the...

Zn coated steel (Z) and ZnAlMg coated steel (ZM3.7/3 = Zn–Al (3.7 wt.%)‐Mg (3.0 wt.%)) have been exposed for 6 years at twelve different weathering sites world wide. The mass loss of the coatings have been measured after 1, 2, 4, and 6 years exposure. From the results, it is shown that ZM3.7/3 had always a better corrosion performance compared to Z...

Model hot-dip Zn-Al-Mg coatings with various microstructures were produced in a galvanising simulator by changing the cooling rate. Full characterization of the coatings was performed to identify the chemical composition of the different phases, the size of the grains and their distribution. The corrosion properties of the model microstructures wer...

The interplay between mechanical stresses and electrochemical reactions may lead to stress corrosion cracking or hydrogen embrittlement for many materials. In this work, the effect of the tensile stress on the electrochemical properties of AISI 304 stainless steel was studied using scanning Kelvin probe (SKP) in air and scanning electrochemical mic...

The exploration and exploitation of deep seawater present promising prospects for many industries. Hence, the use of reliable materials resistant to corrosion in deep seawater conditions is required. In natural seawater, many parameters can influence the kinetics of corrosion such as: temperature, oxygen content, biofilm and fouling activity, flow...

In natural seawater, many parameters might influence the cathodic protection current demand such as potential, temperature, dissolved oxygen content, biofilm and fouling activity, and calcareous deposit formation. The actual deepsea environment cannot be easily reproduced at laboratory scale. In this study, the influence of the depth on the cathodi...

A compact and autonomous corrosion sensor using the principle of electrical resistance variations of its metallic sensitive tracks has been used for different applications under atmospheric corrosion conditions. The measurements of the corrosion rate are performed in-situ both under laboratory and field exposures. From the results, it is possible t...

The corrosion resistance of copper-nickel 90/10 and 70/30 tubes for heat exchangers was evaluated in 0.5 ppm-chlorinated seawater, under controlled service conditions in a bespoke test loop. The results were compared to Al-Brass tubes tested under the same conditions. Copper-Nickel 90/10 tubes were tested with two different geometries: internal smo...

Nickel-Aluminum Bronze (NAB) and Copper-Nickel alloys (CuNi) are commonly used in seawater environments due to their strength combined with a good corrosion resistance and a high resistance to biofouling. However, localized corrosion failures have been reported and are often attributed to abnormal service conditions. The effect of several service c...