Following, understanding and modeling iron corrosion

Florian Kergourlay, PhD student on
DIFFABS beamline, preparing the
experimental setup for a X ray diffraction measurement on an archaeological artefact
(wrought iron  ingot dated from the Gallo-roman period ; Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer)

This project made it possible to share knowledge and expertise on the mechanisms involved in iron corrosion by bringing together:
• corrosion experts and specialists on how to model its various stages: SCCME (Service de la Corrosion et du Comportement des Matériaux dans leur Environnement) of CEA Saclay, including LECA (Laboratoire d'Etude de la Corrosion Aqueuse) and LECBA (Laboratoire d'Etude du Comportement des Bétons et des Argiles)
• laboratories specializing in the electrochemical and thermodynamic study of iron phases: LEMMA at La Rochelle (Laboratoire d’Études des Matériaux en Milieux Agressifs) and LAMBE at Evry (Laboratoire d’Analyse et modélisation pour l’Environnement et la Biologie),
• as well as LAPA (Laboratoire Archéomatériaux et Prévision de l'Altération), bringing together researchers from the “Service Interdisciplinaire Sur les systèmes Moléculaires et les Matériaux” (SIS2M) of CEA Saclay and the “Institut de Recherche sur les Archéomatériaux” (IRAMAT) of the CNRS, specialists in very long term corrosion, with Philippe Dillmann as its head, who is also coordinator of the project.
The DIFFABS beamline at SOLEIL was used to carry out the detailed characterization using a multi-scale and multi-technique approach (X-ray diffraction, absorption and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy). Funding for this ANR project was used, for example, to equip the DIFFABS line specifically for these experiments with a microscope and a specially adapted sample environment, composed notably of micro-translation stages, as well as an electrochemical cell.