Skip to content

Coating Failure Analysis

Back to Failure Analysis Consultancy
Contact Us

Coating Failure Analysis Laboratory Services & Consulting

Coating failure analysis is a specialized service that identifies the root causes of degradation, delamination, blistering, cracking, discoloration, or corrosion affecting protective and functional coatings. At Lucideon, we combine advanced laboratory techniques, such as SEM-EDS, FTIR, XPS, ToF-SIMS, cross-sectional microscopy, adhesion testing, and environmental exposure, with expert consultancy to explain why a coating failed and how to prevent recurrence. Whether the system is organic, metallic, ceramic, or hybrid, we diagnose issues across multiple sectors such as aerospace, automotive, construction, energy, and medical devices, then translate findings into practical improvements in formulation, surface preparation, and application.

Medical Devices

 

Why coatings fail

Typical symptoms mask deeper causes. Frequent root causes include:

  • Surface preparation issues such as contamination, incorrect profile, or poor cleanliness, leading to poor adhesion and early delamination
  • Application/process errors such as humidity/temperature out of range, cure mismatch, film thickness variation, or incompatible layers
  • Formulation selection problems such as binder - pigment balance, plasticizer loss, UV instability, or the wrong coating for a service environment
  • In-service environment effects such as UV, thermal cycling, chemical or salt exposure, abrasion, and under-film corrosion

Our methodology

1. Context - gathering service history, drawings, specifications, preparation, application records, environmental exposure, and maintenance data

2. Visual and non-destructive examination - macro optical inspection, mapped photo-documentation

3. Targeted materials analysis:

  • Microscopy & microanalysis: SEM with EDS for microstructural and elemental mapping; cross-sections to assess layer interfaces and porosity
  • Chemical characterization: FTIR for organic compounds, XPS for surface chemistry and oxidation states, TGA-DSC for thermal behaviour
  • Adhesion and mechanical: crosshatch, pull-off, micro-scratch, and microhardness
  • Corrosion & durability: e.g. cyclic exposure

4. Root-cause determination - links evidence to mechanisms (example: cohesive vs adhesive failure)

5. Recommendations & prevention - clear, prioritized actions covering surface preparation, coating specification, application controls, QA checks, and service environment mitigation.

 

What you receive

  • Concise report with photos, micrographs, spectra/maps
  • Root-cause findings tied to your specification
  • Actionable recommendations- e.g. materials, preparation profile, cure schedule, inspection checkpoints, maintenance plan
  • Optional follow-on support for validation trials, witness testing

Coating systems & sectors

  • Systems: paints, primers, powder coatings, barrier and functional films, conversion coatings, thermal spray, and ceramic and enamel coatings
  • Sectors: aerospace & defense, automotive & e-mobility, infrastructure & construction, energy (conventional, nuclear, hydrogen), healthcare/medical devices, and advanced manufacturing

Example typical engagements

  • Premature blistering and under-film corrosion on structural steelwork
  • Delamination in multi-layer aerospace primer or topcoat systems
  • Wear and cracking in thermal-spray coatings
  • Contamination driven adhesion loss in medical or electronics coating lines
  • UV/chemical exposure causing chalking, fading, or embrittlement

Why Lucideon?

  • End-to-end capability: from rapid triage to in depth analysis
  • Cross-disciplinary expertise: chemists, materials scientists, metallurgists, and corrosion specialists under one roof
  • Practical outcomes: recommendations focused on reliability, cost avoidance, and compliance, not just data

» Return to the Failure Analysis main page