Victoria J. Gelling
Join the ECS (The Electrochemical Society) Twin Cities Section at its November meeting at Sherwin-Williams in Downtown Minneapolis. This is a unique opportunity to tour the world’s leader in paint and coatings, along with a technical presentation titled The Use of Electrochemistry in Industrial Coatings Research by Dr. Vicki Gelling, Senior Research Fellow at Sherwin-Williams.
Fuel your mind and body at this technical meeting with a light meal provided during the presentation.
Registration is free! RSVP required by Monday, November 2.
Date: November 10, 2026
Location: Sherwin-Williams, 1101 3rd Street, Minneapolis, MN 55415
| Agenda: | |
| 1700–1710h | Arrival |
| 1710–1740h | Presentation |
| 1740–1820h | Facility Tour |
| 1830h | Departure |
Tour Sherwin-Williams Minneapolis laboratories, where modern technology meets historic downtown architecture. The facilities support liquid, powder, and electrodeposition coatings across multiple markets, with additional laboratories dedicated to design, resin synthesis, innovation, materials science, and electrochemical methods.
Abstract: The Use of Electrochemistry in Industrial Coating Research
Historically, corrosion and coating evaluation has relied heavily on qualitative, visual assessments, often requiring extended exposure times to distinguish performance differences among coating systems. This presentation begins with an overview of Sherwin-Williams followed by a discussion of persistent challenges in coatings and corrosion research. To address these challenges, electrochemical methods have emerged as powerful quantitative tools for evaluating material degradation. Techniques such as electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) provide rapid, sensitive measurements of changes in coating and substrate properties—often detecting early-stage degradation well before visible corrosion occurs. A case study is presented to demonstrate how these techniques enhance mechanistic understanding and enable more efficient assessment of coating performance.
Speaker
Victoria (Vicki) Gelling is a Senior Research Fellow at Sherwin-Williams. She completed a BS in Chemistry at the University of North Dakota in 1996, then a PhD in Chemistry at North Dakota State University (NDSU) in 2001. Dr. Gelling then joined NDSU’s Department of Coatings and Polymeric Materials, advancing to Associate Professor, receiving the Gehrts Endowed Professorship, and securing more than $7.2 million in research funding. In 2014, she joined Valspar as Technical Director, transitioning to her current role after Sherwin-Williams acquired Valspar in 2017. Dr. Gelling received the 2020 Sherwin-Williams Woman of Professional Excellence Award. She has authored more than 120 coatings and corrosion publications and delivered hundreds of technical presentations, including invited lectures and keynote addresses.