Electrochemical release testing of a stainless steel in a glucose solution using thin layer activation

The contamination of consumer products, e.g. food, during production, storage and/or transport, due to release of chemicals caused by contact with technical components is of some concern. Various methods can be used to study the release of these chemicals. These include those using radiotracers, such as thin layer activation (TLA). A dedicated facility combining TLA with electrochemical tests is presented. Its use is illustrated with Ni and Cr release during electrochemical testing of 316L stainless steel in a glucose solution. TLA offers various advantages, which include area selectivity, high sensitivity, and the possibility for in situ and on-line monitoring of elements. Due to the complementarity of TLA with the conventional electrochemical methods it contributes to a better understanding of the underlying release processes. Additionally, the usefulness of TLA to develop more reliable test methodology is indicated.