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From March 3 to 5, 2026, a conference and trade show on the topic of “Applied Research for Defense and Security in Germany” will take place in Bonn. Under the theme “Shaping the Future with Research and Technology,” Tritech will deliver a presentation.
We believe that corrosion is a critical issue, especially in safety-relevant areas. In the event of material failure, it can, under certain circumstances, become a matter of life and death. In addition, innovative and technically advanced materials are often used in safety-critical applications, which must be preserved and protected.
In Germany alone, annual losses due to corrosion amount to approximately €110 to €150 billion, which corresponds to around 3–4% of the gross domestic product.
Corrosion can occur wherever metals are used. It destroys valuable resources and is often associated with high consequential costs. Effective corrosion protection concepts represent a significant economic factor and ensure safety and value retention.
In the defense sector, materials and systems are exposed to exceptionally demanding environmental conditions. Vehicles, sensor systems, maritime systems, and not least weapon platforms must function reliably over long periods of operation, even under extreme climatic and mechanical stress. Therefore, corrosion resistance plays a central role in material selection.
Corrosion represents not only an economic but also a safety-related risk. Material damage can cause malfunctions, reduced operational readiness, and, in critical cases, safety-relevant failures. For this reason, systematically designed corrosion protection is an integral part of the development, qualification, and maintenance of defense-related products.
To ensure the reliability of defense systems throughout their entire lifecycle, standardized and application-oriented corrosion tests are carried out in the laboratory. These tests are used to reproducibly simulate the various environmental stresses to which materials and components are exposed in real-world conditions.
Laboratory testing enables:
• the evaluation of long-term durability of materials and coatings,
• the early identification of potential weaknesses,
• the comparison of different protection systems under controlled conditions,
• reliable qualification for military approval procedures.
Corrosion tests provide a validated basis for evaluating material selection, surface treatment, and structural measures. They make a significant contribution to ensuring operational readiness under extreme environmental conditions – from Arctic cold and desert climates to maritime exposure.
