Highlights  Agar mixed with plasticizer can be used as electrolyte in corrosion cells.  Designed gels can have excellent adaptability to complex surfaces.  Designed gels avoid the risk of undesired crevice corrosion in pitting tests.  Polarization test of stainless steel in gel is comparable to tests in aqueous NaCl.

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The present paper presents pioneering results about the use of the electrochemical noise (EN) technique to study corrosion of metal surfaces of complex geometry in a gel electrolyte based on agar-glycerol, the composition of which was previously optimized for electrochemical measurements on stainless steel (SS) surfaces. EN results obtained with AISI 304 SS electrodes in both gelled and liquid electrolytes using three different modes (zero-resistance ammeter, potentiostatic, galvanostatic) of measurements have been compared and discussed. Tests carried out in gel allow the possibilities and limitations of using portable gel cells for monitoring corrosion of SS complex surfaces to be determined.