LSMD Test Rig for Multi-Degradation Testing

The Lab-Scale Multi-Degradation (LSMD) test rig enables the investigation of how materials, coatings and components are affected when multiple degradation processes interact. Testing is performed under controlled and repeatable conditions, providing a more realistic understanding of material performance in service.

When corrosion, wear and mechanical loading act together, they can reinforce one another. The combined effect may lead to accelerated degradation and a shorter service life than indicated by tests where each mechanism is evaluated independently.

By combining several types of loading within a single experiment, it is possible to gain a better understanding of how materials and structures perform in operation and identify risks that might otherwise be overlooked.

What can be tested?

The LSMD test rig can be used to evaluate:

• Metallic materials
• Surface coatings and corrosion protection systems
• Components for marine and offshore applications
• Materials exposed to both wear and corrosion
• Structures subjected to static or cyclic loading

The tests can support material development, comparison of materials and coatings, and assessment of performance and service life under realistic operating conditions.

How the testing works

The test rig combines mechanical loading, sliding wear and corrosive environments within a single experiment.

A specimen can simultaneously be exposed to:

• Static or cyclic bending loads
• Reciprocating sliding wear
• Corrosive environments such as seawater, electrolytes or slurries

The system consists of six independent test chambers, allowing up to six specimens to be tested simultaneously. This makes it possible to compare different materials, coatings or test conditions within the same test programme.

During testing, parameters such as load, deflection, friction, electrochemical signals and temperature are continuously recorded. The results provide detailed insight into how different degradation processes develop and interact over time.

Test configurations

Each loading condition can be applied independently or combined with others to simulate different service environments.

Tribocorrosion

Combined wear and corrosion.

Tribocorrosion under static loading

Wear and corrosion acting simultaneously while the specimen is subjected to a constant mechanical load.

Tribocorrosion-fatigue

A combination of wear, corrosion and cyclic loading. This is often referred to as multi-degradation testing because several degradation processes act simultaneously.

By comparing the results from different test configurations, it is possible to quantify how the various degradation processes influence one another and determine the additional material loss caused by their interaction.

Benefits of the LSMD test rig

• Reproduces realistic operating conditions where multiple degradation processes act simultaneously
• Enables comparison of materials and coatings under identical conditions
• Identifies interaction effects between corrosion, wear and mechanical loading
• Allows up to six specimens to be tested in parallel
• Provides continuous monitoring and data collection throughout the test
• Combines mechanical, tribological and electrochemical analysis within a single experiment

Contact us

Would you like to evaluate materials, coatings or components under realistic conditions where corrosion, wear and mechanical loading interact? Contact us to discuss how the LSMD test rig can support your project.