Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry and Corrosion

Head of Laboratory:
Dr. Aleksandra Kocijan
Contact:

+386 1 4701 955
+386 1 4701 975
aleksandra.kocijan@imt.si

Laboratory for Analytical Chemistry and Corrosion

Advanced materials analysis and corrosion solutions – from research to industrial applications.
Key services:

•    High-precision chemical analysis of materials
•    Practical solutions to corrosion problems
•    Surface analysis and protective systems

The laboratory operates in the fields of analytical chemistry and corrosion, supporting industry and research in the development and optimization of materials. Our focus is on reliable measurements, advanced methods and solving complex practical challenges.

Areas of expertise:

Analytical Chemistry of Materials, Corrosion and Protection of Metals, Surface Analysis

Application areas:

• Industry (metallurgy, construction, transport)

• Research organizations

• Development of new materials

• Environmental and archaeological studies

Activities / Services

Analytical Methods

• ICP-OES (Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry) – determination of elemental composition in metallic materials

• XRF (X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry) – non-destructive elemental analysis

• Trace element analysis – determination of low concentrations (down to µg/g) after separation and preconcentration

• Carbon (C) and sulfur (S) – determination by high-temperature combustion with IR detection

• Oxygen (O), nitrogen (N) and hydrogen (H) – determination by inert gas fusion with IR (O) and TCD (N, H) detection

• UV/VIS spectrophotometry – concentration determination based on UV and visible light absorption

Corrosion and Electrochemical Methods

• Potentiodynamic polarization – determination of corrosion parameters from current–potential relationships
• Tafel analysis – evaluation of corrosion current and potential from polarization curves
• Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) – analysis of corrosion processes and protective layers
• Potentiostatic and galvanostatic methods – monitoring corrosion at constant potential or current
• Galvanic corrosion testing – analysis of interactions between dissimilar metals
•  

Research

Analytical Chemistry

• Development of analytical methods for material characterization

• High-precision chemical and trace analysis

• Elemental analysis for material development and quality control

• Analytical support for environmental and archaeological research

Corrosion

•  Investigation of corrosion behavior in various environments

• Development of solutions to improve corrosion resistance

• Surface analysis of passive and protective layers

• Development of protective systems for various applications

• Support in developing more durable materials

Expertise

• Chemical characterization of materials (composition, impurities, trace elements)
• Interpretation of analytical results for development, quality control and failure analysis
• Root cause analysis of material degradation with improvement recommendations
• Diagnosis and mitigation of corrosion-related problems
• Expert support for industrial and research projects

Equipment

Analytical Chemistry

• ICP-OES (Agilent 5800 VDV) – multi-element chemical analysis

• XRF spectrometer (Thermo Scientific Niton XL3t GOLDD+) – portable elemental analysis for rapid material identification

• XRF spectrometer (Thermo Scientific Niton XL5 Plus) – advanced portable XRF for high-precision analysis

• Carbon and sulfur analyzer (ELTRA CS800) – combustion analysis with IR detection

• Oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen analyzer (ELEMENTRAC ONH) – inert gas fusion analysis

• Portable optical emission spectrometer PMI-MASTER Smart – on-site alloy identification

• UV/VIS spectrophotometer (Shimadzu UV-1800) – chemical analysis based on light absorption

Corrosion

• BioLogic SP-300 potentiostat/galvanostat/FRA – advanced electrochemical system including EIS

• EG&G PAR 273 and 263A systems – electrochemical testing (polarization, Tafel, galvanic corrosion)

• Spin coater Laurell WS-650Mz-23NPP – deposition of thin and uniform protective coatings

Projects and References

Current Projects

• J7-70249 – Metal-Free Electrocatalysts for the Synthesis of High-Value Green Chemicals (2026–2029)
• L2-70118 – New Generation of High-Mg Aluminium Alloy in the EN AW 5XXX Series for Ultra-Lightweight, Sustainable and High-Performance Applications (2026–2029)
• J7-70256 (ReBone) – Redefining Bone Support with Biodegradable Fe-Mn Alloys and Scaffold Engineering (2026–2029)
• N2-0425 – Non-Precious Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Evolution in Acidic Media (2025–2028)
• GC-0004 (CHRONOSTORE) – Chemical Energy Storage Solutions Across Temporal Scales for Climate-Resilient Renewable Energy Systems (2025–2028)
• J2-60033 (SuperShocked) – Improvement of Functional and Structural Performance of Superelastic Shape Memory Alloys by High-Intensity Laser Shock Waves (2025–2027)
• J2-60051 (SurfBioApps) – Laser Surface-Engineered Metallic Materials with Enhanced Biocompatibility for Biomedical Applications (2025–2027)

Industrial Collaboration

We collaborate with leading companies in metallurgy, automotive, and manufacturing industries, supporting development, analysis and solutions for materials-related challenges.

Partners include:

Research Collaboration

We work closely with leading research institutions and universities:

• National Institute of Chemistry (KI)
• Jožef Stefan Institute (IJS)
• University of Maribor, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
• University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
• University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology
• Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute (ZAG)

International Collaboration

• SPL-LABMAT (Czech Republic)
• BAM (Germany)
• JAB (Japan)
• NTNU (Norway)
• KU Leuven (Belgium)
• Ruđer Bošković Institute (Croatia)
• and others