Integrated in-situ imaging and diffraction flow cell technology (NX-DRT) for advanced corrosion studies

Dynamic imaging and mechanistical investigations are crucial in the development of new materials, in understanding degradation and offer significant opportunity across diverse areas of materials research. Here we demonstrate the integration of a sample corrosion environment with imaging through low energy neutrons and synchrotron X-rays, and demonstrate this using steel, which is commonly used in the oil and gas industries. The novel flow cell technology, incorporating three-electrodes to link corrosion with imaging (2D and 3D with neutrons and X-rays) is unique and operates in-situ overcoming limitations around manipulating the environment around the sample. The compact flow cell enabled imaging of thin films of a few microns thickness. The combination of imaging and diffraction data are useful to characterize the degradation mechanism qualitatively and quantitatively over time with 3D tomography used to provide visual and volumetric information on film growth, porosity and pitting position. This work demonstrates the unprecedented capability of the in-situ flow cell to conduct degradation studies and elucidate mechanisms in ways never before possible.