Salt Spray Test
The test procedure to perform the salt spray test is first introduced by the ASTM standardization authority and has become the most popular test method since then and is often used to perform basic salt spray tests. The salt spray test is carried out with the help of testing instrument "Salt Spray Chamber". The machine comprises of a closed cabinet, where salt water is atomized with the help of a spray nozzle. This water creates a salty environment that helps to make the product corrosive with the help of water fog also known as mist inside the chamber. This process contributes to expose the specimen in the environment with highly corrosive conditions.
The capacity of the chambers varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, and the change in the salt spray test solution is made depending upon the material that needs to be tested. The commonly used test method that a test the steel based materials is, Neutral Salt Spray Test, it shows that the type of the solution is prepared with a neutral pH of 6.5 to 7.2.
The results of corrosion test are represented by the testing hours along with the appearance of the corrosion. Most of the salt spray tests are continuous, and the samples kept under test are exposed to the nonstop creation of salt mist for the entire period of the test.
Salt Spray testing is a most popular test method to test the corrosion resistance as it is a quick, inexpensive, reasonable, repeatable and well-standardized test. As there is a fragile relation between the life of the coating and salt spray test, corrosion testing is the best process that must be performed by the manufacturers to test the corrosion resistance of the products.