Durability of Engineering Materials Lab at ETH Zurich

Amazing news! 🎉 Congratulations Federico Martinelli-Orlando and Ueli Angst on receiving the Guy Bengough Medal from IOM3 (Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining) for the manuscript "𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗘𝗥-𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗲𝘀 – 𝗮 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴". 👏 👏 The medal is presented annually for published work that makes #outstanding contribution to the subject of #corrosion and #degradation of all types of #materials and their #controls. Link to the manuscript: https://lnkd.in/epC7F2Ur European Research Council (ERC) ETH Zürich

Last week, we had the pleasure of hosting Prof Min Wu from Aarhus University. Thank you Min for giving us an insightful seminar.

Chloride-induced #corrosion of #reinforcement steel significantly impacts the #durability, structural #performance and service life of #concrete infrastructure. Do #localised corrosion attacks formed in concrete structures conform to the #traditional theory of #pitting corrosion? In our latest paper, we systematically analysed over 600 localised corrosion attack #morphologies, drawn from #realworld engineering structures and #laboratory specimens. This covers the span from very early-stage, small corrosion (analysed with X-ray #computedtomography) to extensive, late-stage corrosion #damage. The findings reveal that localised corrosion attacks predominantly spread #laterally and #longitudinally along the reinforcement bar, forming #shallow profiles rather than #deep pits. This is an important puzzle piece towards understanding the mechanism of localised corrosion, since 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗽𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝘀𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗵𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗲-𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗲. To reflect this distinct morphology, we propose adopting the term ‘𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸’ over ‘𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗶𝘁’. This nuanced understanding has profound implications for structural analysis, enabling more accurate predictions and refined maintenance strategies. Additionally, our study provides a robust #database for probabilistic #modelling, empowering engineers to develop enhanced #servicelife models. To know more: https://lnkd.in/erGV3vHz. Deniz Yilmaz Emanuele Rossi Ueli Angst Federal Roads Office FEDRO ETH Zürich

Congratulations Dr Fabio Enrico Furcas! 🎉 🎉

Wrapping up the year with a wonderful #Christmas dinner of our research group. A great way to celebrate the season and #reflect on the year gone by! 🎉

Just returning from the two-day meeting of the CORINT project, where collaborators from EPFL, HE-Arc - Haute École Arc, PSI Paul Scherrer Institut, Nagra - Nationale Genossenschaft für die Lagerung radioaktiver Abfälle and Aventicum work together to reveal #corrosion mechanisms utilizing #multimodal #imaging techniques (including #Xray and #neutron #tomography). This is an interdisciplinary project funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation SNSF. To know more about the CORINT project: https://lnkd.in/exqf2Ku4   We had a great time and intense scientific discussions in the idyllic hills of the #Swiss #Emmental region. Thanks to everybody participating!   Ueli Angst, Emanuele Rossi, Susanna Governo, Nikitas Diomidis, Stefano Mischler, Elodie Granget, Qianru Zhan

𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 Our study introduces a novel setup that allows for chemically #imaging #corrosion at metal-electrolyte #interfaces under confined, stagnant conditions over relatively #longtime scales - critical for diverse #industrial and #environmental applications. Our setup allows us to track the formation of corrosion products over space and time with #optical microscopy, while advanced #synchrotron-based techniques (X-ray #fluorescence, X-ray #diffraction, and X-ray #absorption spectroscopy) provide detailed chemical and structural characterisation. Additionally, we can quantify #precipitates and determine in-situ #corrosionrates through X-ray #transmission measurements. This study showcases the application of the setup by studying #iron corrosion in a stagnant #electrolyte. This approach offers valuable insights into the dynamics of corrosion and reactive transport at the metal-electrolyte interface, with micrometer-scale resolution and over long times. This high-resolution setup has broad potential for in-situ studies across different #metals and environments such as, #steel corrosion in #concrete or soil, #metals in #radioactivewaste storage solutions, buried #archaeological artefacts, or #medical implants. To know more: https://lnkd.in/eSrd6E7Y PSI Paul Scherrer Institut ETH Zürich Oregon State University Cristhiana Albert Shishir Mundra Fabio Enrico Furcas ASHISH RAJYAGURU Dario Ferreira Sanchez Grolimund Daniel #BurkanIsgor Ueli Angst European Research Council (ERC)

It was a pleasure to host Dr Natalia Alderete from Ghent University in our lab. Thank you Natalia for giving an interesting seminar "𝗨𝗻𝘀𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀: 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗻", and for the stimulating discussions.

Understanding how #water is absorbed in cement-based materials is essential for predicting the long-term #durability of #concrete structures. Conventional #numerical models simplify processes by averaging #material properties and flow variables. Such methodology fails to capture the complete #microscopic details of the relevant processes, and a more profound #fundamental understanding is needed. Our recent study investigated the capillary water #imbibition processes through #DirectNumericalSimulations (DNS) of air-water #multiphase flow, directly at the #pore level. This approach solves full microscopic flow equations using fine numerical #meshes to enable detailed insight into #porescale variables and processes that are still poorly understood. A number of different features were analysed using 2D #model geometries, such as changes in the pore-sectional area, cross-flow between capillaries of different radii, or the influence of narrow throats on imbibition #dynamics and air #trapping. Considering the importance of spontaneous imbibition in a broad range of #natural and #industrial processes, the knowledge we obtain here can improve our fundamental understanding and lead to the #development and #enhancement of #macroscale (i.e. traditional) models. To know more: https://lnkd.in/eXbr8QUe Luka Malenica Zhidong Zhang Ueli Angst

#Iron (hydr)oxides play a critical role in many #natural and #industrial processes, from groundwater remediation to structural integrity in reinforced #concrete. The fundamental #mechanism controlling the #formation and #transformation of iron (hydr)oxides has remained enigmatic. Traditional models often oversimplify this process by focussing solely on the solid phase and overlooking key factors like #metastable intermediates, particle #growth mechanisms, and the #composition of the aqueous phase. In our recent study, we addressed these gaps by developing a new #partialequilibrium model that integrates both #solid and #aqueous phase interactions. The model combines state-of-the-art #thermodynamic parameters with #particle-#morphology-dependent #kinetic rate equations to more accurately describe the transformation of 2-line #ferrihydrite to crystalline #goethite. Specifically, we show that the formation of goethite, a stable iron (hydr)oxide, is controlled by the #dissolution kinetics of amorphous ferrihydrite at #alkaline pH. This new understanding can be applied to a range of natural and industrial systems, offering more precise insights into iron (hydr)oxide behaviour and its implications for #environmental and #materials science. For more details: https://lnkd.in/eafZ_P34 Fabio Enrico Furcas Shishir Mundra Barbara Lothenbach Ueli Angst