---
type: "WebPage"
title: "Laboratory characterization of surface passivation phenomena and surface treatment baths"
description: "Your needs: assessing the service life of your products by studying their surface passivation Passivation refers to the ability of a metal to protect itself against corrosion through the formation of a natural or artificial film. For most metals (aluminium,..."
resource: "https://filab.fr/en/our-services/our-analysis-services/laboratory-surface-characterization/laboratory-characterization-passivation/"
tags: ["EN", "pll_61277d06c34d1", "Anaïs DECAUX"]
timestamp: "2026-08-25T13:34:05Z"
published: "2021-08-26T11:37:42Z"
language: "en"
author: "bwa"
---

# Laboratory characterization of surface passivation phenomena and surface treatment baths

## Your needs: assessing the service life of your products by studying their surface passivation

Passivation refers to the ability of a metal to protect itself against corrosion through the formation of a natural or artificial film. For most metals (aluminium, steel, titanium, etc.), this protective layer forms naturally through oxidation. These materials are referred to as “self-passivating.” 

For materials that are not inherently self-passivating, surface treatments can accelerate or create the passivation process to provide better protection. These electrochemical treatments involve reacting the surface of a material to produce a layer of metal oxides, making the metal “impermeable.”

To help companies better control corrosive attacks on materials, the support of a specialist laboratory can provide a better understanding of the passivation phenomena associated with their product, enabling them to assess its service life and control the effectiveness of the passivation baths used.

## Our solutions: characterising the surface of your materials and measuring the effectiveness of your passivation baths

Thanks to its dual expertise in chemistry and materials science, the FILAB laboratory has the [surface analysis expertise](https://filab.fr/en/our-services/our-analysis-services/laboratory-surface-characterization.md) and the analytical tools required to study surface passivation phenomena and analyse the associated treatments.

FILAB Laboratory can provide various services related to the passivation of a material:

## Studying passivation

[Surface composition analysis](https://filab.fr/en/our-services/our-analysis-services/laboratory-surface-characterization.md)

Studying changes in the surface over time

[Salt spray test](https://filab.fr/en/our-technical-resources/laboratory-salt-spray-corrosion-tests.md) (in accordance with [ISO 9227](https://filab.fr/nos-prestations/expertise/laboratoire-analyse-depot-pollution/essais-brouillard-salin-iso-9227.md)) to assess the time required for the part to degrade

Characterisation of passivation in accordance with the [ASTM F86-21 standard](https://www.astm.org/f0086-21.html)

[Coating thickness measurement](https://filab.fr/en/our-services/our-analysis-services/laboratory-surface-characterization/surface-coating-thickness-measurement.md)

[Surface failure analysis](https://filab.fr/en/our-services/our-expertise-services/laboratory-analysis-failures.md) (corrosion, breakage, impurities, etc.)

Characterisation of DM passivation in accordance with the [ASTM A967 and A967/M](https://filab.fr/en/our-services/our-analysis-services/metallurgical-analysis-laboratory/astm-a967-analysis-laboratory.md) and [A380/A380M](https://filab.fr/en/our-services/our-analysis-services/metallurgical-analysis-laboratory/analysis-of-stainless-steels-to-astm-a380-standard.md) standards

## Analyse des bains de traitement de surface

[Analyse de la composition chimique](https://filab.fr/en/our-services/our-analysis-services/chemical-analysis-laboratory.md) des bains

Validation des procédés de passivation

Etude de l’évolution des propriétés des bains

For this purpose, FILAB has a 5,200 m² analytical facility equipped with cutting-edge tools, including a Scanning Electron Microscope ([FEG-SEM EDX](https://filab.fr/nos-moyens-techniques/laboratoire-d-analysis-par-microscopie-electronique-a-balayage-meb-edx/)) for surface studies, as well as several [ICP-AES](https://filab.fr/en/our-technical-resources/laboratory-analysis-icp-icp-ms-icp-aes.md) and [IC](https://filab.fr/nos-moyens-techniques/laboratoire-analysis-chromatographie-ionique/) systems for analysing bath composition.

### Did you know?

A material described as “stainless” is actually a material that oxidises easily. When it comes into contact with oxygen, a layer of oxides forms on its surface. This passive layer, which has the particular ability to regenerate itself, protects it against corrosion and makes it a “stainless” material.