CONTAINER-CONTENT COMPATIBILITY

CORROSION AND ELECTROCHEMISTRY

Check compatibility before market launch

The product, the metal and any internal coating interact throughout the life of the packaging.

LEREM studies the container-content system to identify corrosion risks, compare the available solutions and verify that the packaging will retain its properties under the intended conditions. The protocol is defined around your product, your container and the decision you need to make.

DESIGNING THE STUDY

Questions we help you answer

Depending on your needs, we combine electrochemical measurements, observations and storage tests.

Technicien du LEREM contrôlant un contenant métallique avec des gants de laboratoire

01 / SUITABILITY

Check container suitability

Amperometry can be used to determine whether steel, blackplate or tinplate packaging is suitable for the formulation under study.

Inspection à la loupe d’un revêtement métallique avec des gants de laboratoire

02 / PROTECTION

Compare protective coatings

Impedance measurements compare several coatings and monitor how they change in contact with the product, including when new solutions are being selected.

Résultats de spectroscopie d’impédance électrochimique analysés au LEREM

03 / DECISION

Choose the most suitable solution

The results help compare formulations or inhibitors and investigate the cause of corrosion or a loss of performance.

Poste d’analyse électrochimique du LEREM avec ordinateur et cellule d’essai

ELECTROCHEMICAL IMPEDANCE SPECTROSCOPY

Detect changes before they become visible

LEREM has used electrochemical impedance spectroscopy since the early 1990s. A very low-amplitude alternating signal is applied to the system formed by the metal, coating and product.

The measurement does not damage the sample. It can therefore be repeated throughout the study to monitor protection and detect a drift before corrosion or blistering becomes visible.

IN PRACTICE

EIS helps select which solutions to retain for storage tests and avoids unnecessarily extending the study of systems that are already unstable.

USING THE MEASUREMENTS

Compare solutions using practical criteria

Interpreting the curves helps monitor protection and identify systems that are changing unfavourably.

Monitor protection

Coating resistance and capacitance are measured at several stages to track their evolution.

Compare systems

Nyquist and Bode plots reveal differences between coatings, formulations or batches.

Focus long-term testing

Unstable solutions can be identified earlier, so storage tests focus on the systems that need confirmation.

Échantillons soumis à un essai d’entreposage à température contrôlée au LEREM

LONG-TERM VALIDATION

Confirm performance over time

Electrochemical measurements make it possible to compare solutions and quickly identify changes. Storage tests complement this initial assessment by checking the packaging’s actual behaviour over time.

The duration, temperature and inspections are defined according to the product and its conditions of use. Measurements are then correlated with observations made on the containers.

0 to 50°C: storage at a controlled temperature

Up to three years: long-term studies as needed

Documented monitoring: sample identification and inspection

Appareil d’acquisition utilisé pour suivre et interpréter un essai au laboratoire LEREM

A DECISION-READY CONCLUSION

Interpret the results to make the right choice

LEREM correlates the measurements with observations made on specimens and containers. The analysis considers the product, metal, coating and conditions of use to compare solutions and identify points requiring attention before industrialisation.

RESULTS IN PRACTICE

APPLICATIONS AND KEY CONSIDERATIONS

Select a protective coating

Compare coatings in contact with the product to select a suitable protective coating.

Validate a new formulation

Check that a new formulation is compatible with the container’s metal and coating.

Assess the use of recycled materials

Account for possible differences in recycled materials when assessing the container.

Compare batches, suppliers or production sites

Identify differences in performance between batches, suppliers or production sites.

Support an R&D project or investigate the cause of a defect

Use the results to guide an R&D project or investigate the cause of a defect.

Formulation conductivity

The formulation must be conductive enough for the electrical signal to be measured.

Measurements focus on the liquid

The measurement concerns the contact between the liquid and the container, not the packaging’s gas phase.

Substrate variability

The analysis accounts for variations in the substrate, particularly when recycled materials are used.

Do you need to validate a container-content system?

Tell us about the product, packaging and known constraints. The LEREM team will work with you to define the useful tests and a protocol suited to your decision.

DISCUSS YOUR PROJECT

Container-content compatibility