Accelerated corrosion assessment through the AC/DC/AC electrochemical method

Corrosion poses a significant threat to global infrastructure and economic stability. Organic coatings are commonly used to protect metallic structures from environmental damage due to their cost-effectiveness. However, these coatings can degrade over time, developing micro-cracks that weaken their protective properties. To assess the effectiveness of organic coatings, various performance tests are conducted to study their properties and protective mechanisms. Among these, the AC/DC/AC or accelerated cyclic electrochemical technique is a promising accelerated electrochemical method for evaluating corrosion resistance. This method offers advantages over traditional techniques by speeding up the degradation more efficiently, providing valuable insights into coating long-term performance. This review explores the intricacies of the aggressive nature of the AC/DC/AC method, how it can be leveraged as an accelerated tool for unraveling the electrochemical behavior of the coating-metal system for corrosion protection evaluation, and how it can be used to study coating degradation, aging, and self-healing capabilities. Further, the review tackles the challenges, limitations, and recent research trends aimed at enhancing the effectiveness and broader applications of the AC/DC/AC method.