Benefits of Performing Salt Spray Test/ Corrosion Test

Salt Spray test is a coated metal screening method to measure if a material is sufficient enough to tolerate corrosive environment conditions or not. Salt Spray testing is conducted using salt spray chambers using the salt solution which is formed by mixing water and sodium chloride i.e. normal sodium table salt and sodium sulfate.

Purpose of Salt Spray Test

The major purpose of performing salt spray tests is to provide information about the impact of outdoor environments on different types of metals. ASTM B117 tests are specially introduced to predict the corrosion rates of metals in outdoor environments such as chlorides, sea water, and other environmental elements. Predefined amount of salt solution and environment is created inside the chamber as per the application. The rate or effect of corrosion is determined by the amount of salt environment created during a specific period under controlled laboratory conditions.

How is the Salt Spray test conducted?

Salt Spray chambers also known as ASTMB117 Standard Chambers is a special laboratory testing equipment. It is used in many manufacturing industries to test the corrosion resistance strength of coated substrates by placing them in different environmental conditions. In other words, it is a big chamber unit where artificial environmental conditions are created and corrosion testing is conducted. The test chamber is used to predict the corrosion resistance strength of metals in different environmental conditions such as salt water, rain, mist, wind, chlorides and other environmental elements.

Different Ways to Conduct the Salt Spray Test

The corrosion test involves creating a salt and fog inside the test chamber and then initiating the test cycle inside the chamber with a dry and wet phase. During the wet phase, the chamber is flooded with a salt solution. During the dry phase, the salt solution is drained out completely and the air cycles are created inside the chamber. To ensure the precise testing environment, the process & parameters that are disclosed and outlined in ASTM B117 needs to be followed rigorously. The duration of the wet phase and the dry phase completely depends on the test that needs to be conducted. The test is considered complete when the required amount of corrosion starts occurring on the sample.

How to determine the corrosion on the sample?

Corrosion is nothing but the loss of the weight of the sample that is placed inside the test chamber and subjected to a salt fog environment during the test.

Advantages of Using an Salt Spray Test Chamber

Salt Spray chamber is a highly standardized testing machine that is designed on a set of protocols that gives only precise test results. Performing ASTM B117 salt fog test comes with multiple benefits.

First of all, it helps to create a highly controlled environment. The environmental conditions created inside the chamber are done by adjusting humidity levels, temperatures, application of sodium concentration, etc. By using a standardized test environment, manufacturers can always be assured that results are reliable & consistent.

Secondly, it is considered as a quantitative test. The amount of corrosion that you are creating during the testinside the chamber can be measured and easily calculated.

Third, it is a precise test method. The testing conditions are so controlled using the corrosion chambers that it is possible to predict the effect of environment conditions on the same type of metal with a high degree of accuracy.

Fourth, it is a relatively cheap mode of testing the corrosion resistance strength of metal products. You just need to buy a testing machine from a reputed manufacturer like Pacorr Testing Instruments and keep on testing the products for years.