Electrochemical analysis is a collection of techniques that use electrical stimulation to analyze the chemical reactivity of a sample surface or a solution. Oxidation and reduction reaction rates are controlled and measured by a potentiostat, connected to electrodes submerged in an electrolyte. Electrochemical analysis is used for e.g. the study of corrosion, i.e. degradation of a material due to reaction with its environment. The test conditions (i.e. temperature, composition of electrolyte, exclusion of oxygen, …) can be varied to gain insight in the corrosion mechanism in specific environments. Electrochemical analysis is useful for materials selection during the design phase or prediction of failure mechanisms and lifetime during operation.

In electrochemical corrosion studies, the working electrode (WE) is the material under investigation, which is oxidized in a controlled way. The complementary reactions to maintain charge balance take place at a -usually inert- counter electrode (CE) (e.g. platinum). A reference electrode (RE) is used to control the potential close to the WE surface. Various techniques are used to measure corrosion resistance.