Astm G85
Astm G85
Astm G85
1. Scope
1.1 This practice sets forth conditions for five modifications
in salt spray (fog) testing for specification purposes. These are
in chronological order of their development:
1.1.1 Annex A1, acetic acid-salt spray test, continuous.
1.1.2 Annex A2, cyclic acidified salt spray test.
1.1.3 Annex A3, seawater acidified test, cyclic (SWAAT).
1.1.4 Annex A4, SO2 salt spray test, cyclic.
1.1.5 Annex A5, dilute electrolyte cyclic fog dry test.
1.2 This practice does not prescribe the type of modification, test specimen or exposure periods to be used for a specific
product, nor the interpretation to be given to the results.
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
responsibility of the user of this standard to consult and
establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicablity of regulatory limitations prior to use.
4. Apparatus
4.1 Cabinet:
4.1.1 The apparatus required for salt spray (fog) testing
consists of a fog chamber, a salt solution reservoir, a supply of
suitably conditioned compressed air, one or more atomizing
nozzles, specimen supports, provision for heating the chamber,
and necessary means of control. The size and detailed construction of the cabinet are optional, provided the conditions
obtained meet the requirements of this practice. The material of
construction shall be such that it will not affect the corrosiveness of the fog. Suitable apparatus that may be used to obtain
these conditions is described in Appendix A1 of Practice B 117
with necessary modifications described in each annex.
4.1.2 Design the cabinet so that drops of solution that
accumulate on the ceiling or cover of the chamber do not fall
on the specimens being tested. Do not return drops of solution
that fall from the specimens to the solution reservoir for
respraying.
4.1.3 Equip the cabinet with one or more timing devices to
provide for intermittent spraying or periodic introduction of a
gas, or both.
4.2 Air Supply:
4.2.1 Make sure the compressed air supply to the nozzle or
nozzles for atomizing the salt solution is free of oil and dirt and
maintain the air supply between 69 and 172 kPa (10 and 25
psi).
2. Referenced Documents
2.1 ASTM Standards:
B 117 Practice for Operating Salt Spray (Fog) Testing2
D 609 Practice for Preparation of Cold-Rolled Steel Panels
for Testing Paint, Varnish, Conversion Coatings, and
Related Coating Products3
D 1141 Specification for Substitute Ocean Water4
D 1193 Specification for Reagent Water5
D 1654 Test Method for Evaluation of Painted or Coated
Specimens Subjected to Corrosive Environments3
E 70 Test Method for pH of Aqueous Solutions with the
Glass Electrode6
NOTE 1The air supply may be freed of oil and dirt by passing it
through a water scrubber or at least 610 mm (2 ft) of suitable cleaning
material such as asbestos, sheeps wool, or activated alumina.
1
This practice is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee G-1 on Corrosion
of Metals and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee G01.05 on Laboratory
Corrosion Tests.
Current edition approved April 10, 1998. Published November 1998. Originally
published as G 85 85. Last previous edition G 85 94.
2
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 03.02.
3
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 06.01.
4
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 11.02.
5
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 11.01.
6
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 15.05.
G 85
interrupted for exposing, rearranging, or removing test specimens or to check and replenish the solution in the reservoir).
6. Salt Solutions
6.1 Make the salt solutions by using either synthetic sea salt
in accordance with Specification D 1141 or sodium chloride in
accordance with Practice B 117, unless otherwise specified in
the appropriate annex. Make-up water shall be distilled or
deionized water conforming to Type IV water in Specification
D 1193 (except that for this practice, limits for chlorides and
sodium may be ignored).
6.2 Synthetic Sea Salt Solution:
6.2.1 Make the salt solution so that it consists of 42 g of
synthetic sea salt in accordance with Specification D 1141 per
litre of solution (see Note 5).
6.3 Sodium Chloride Solution:
6.3.1 Prepare the salt solution by dissolving 5 6 1 parts by
weight of sodium chloride in 95 parts of distilled water or
water containing not more than 200 ppm of total solids (see
Note 5). The sodium chloride shall be substantially free of
nickel and copper and shall contain on the dry basis not more
than 0.1 % of sodium iodide and not more than 0.3 % of total
impurities. Some salts contain additives that may act as
corrosion inhibitors; careful attention should be given to the
chemical content of the salt. Upon agreement between purchaser and seller, analysis may be required and limits established for elements or compounds not specified in the chemical
composition given above.
7. Procedure
7.1 Position of Specimens During Test:
7.1.1 Unless otherwise specified, support or suspend the
specimens between 6 and 45 from the vertical, and preferably
parallel to the principal direction of horizontal flow of fog
through the chamber, based upon the dominant surface being
tested. Note that test severity increases as angle from the
vertical increases.
7.1.2 Do not allow contact of the specimens between each
other, between any metallic material, or between any material
capable of acting as a wick.
7.1.3 Place each specimen so as to permit free settling of fog
on all specimens. A minimum spacing between specimens of
30 mm is recommended.
2
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7.1.4 Do not permit the salt solution from one specimen to
drip on any other specimen.
7.1.5 It is recommended that placement of replicate specimens be randomized to avoid possible bias caused by difference in spray patterns. Individual specimens may also be
rotated daily for the same reason.
7.1.6 Suitable materials for the construction or coating of
racks and supports are glass, rubber, plastic, or suitably coated
wood. Do not use bare metal. Support specimens preferably
from the bottom or the side. Slotted wooden, laminated plastic,
or inert plastic strips are suitable for the support of flat panels.
Suspension from glass hooks or waxed string may be used as
long as the specified position of the specimens is obtained, and,
if necessary, by means of secondary support at the bottom of
the specimens.
7.2 Continuity of Test:
7.2.1 Unless otherwise specified, in the specifications covering the material or product being tested, allow the test to be
continuous for the duration of the entire test period. Continuous operation implies that the chamber be closed except for the
short daily interruptions necessary to inspect, rearrange, or
remove test specimens, and to check and replenish the solution
in the reservoir. Schedule operations so that these interruptions
are held to a minimum.
7.3 Period of Test:
7.3.1 Designate the period of test in accordance with the
specifications covering the material or product being tested or
as mutually agreed upon between the purchaser and the seller.
Exposure periods of multiples of 24 h are suggested.
7.4 Cleaning of Tested Specimens:
7.4.1 Unless otherwise specified in the specifications covering the material or product being tested, at the end of the test,
specimens may be gently washed or dipped in clean running
water no warmer than 38C (100F) to remove salt deposits
from their surface, and then immediately dried. Dry with a
stream of clean, compressed air.
8. Evaluation of Results
8.1 Make a careful and immediate examination for the
extent of corrosion of the dry test specimens or for other failure
as required by the specifications covering the material or
product being tested or by agreement between the purchaser
and the seller.
9. Report
9.1 Record the following information, unless otherwise
prescribed in the specifications covering the material or product being tested:
9.1.1 Type of salt and water used in preparing the salt
solution,
9.1.2 All readings of temperature within the exposure zone
of the chamber,
9.1.3 Weekly records of data obtained from each fogcollecting device including the following:
9.1.3.1 Volume of salt solution collected in millilitres per
hour per 80 cm2,
9.1.3.2 Concentration or specific gravity at 35C (95F) of
solution collected, (see Note 8), and
9.1.3.3 pH of collected solution,
9.1.4 Type of specimen and its dimensions, or number or
description of part,
9.1.5 Method of cleaning specimens before and after testing,
9.1.6 Method of supporting or suspending article in the salt
spray chamber,
9.1.7 Description of protection used as required in 5.2.5,
9.1.8 Exposure period,
9.1.9 Interruptions in test, cause and length of time, and
9.1.10 Results of all inspections.
NOTE 8It is also advisable to record the concentration or specific
gravity of any atomized salt solution that has not made contact with the
test specimen and that was returned to the reservoir.
10. Keywords
10.1 acidic salt spray; corrosion; salt spray
NOTE 7Drying with compressed air may not be desirable for aluminum specimens to be tested for exfoliation corrosion resistance.
ANNEXES
(Mandatory Information)
A1. ACETIC ACID-SALT SPRAY (FOG) TESTING
required to attain the specified pH, the purity of the water or salt, or both
may not be satisfactory.
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have the effect of altering parameters of the electroplating process in
connection with decorative chromium plating on steel or zinc die-cast base
as well as for the evaluation of the quality of the product. This is true
because of the normal duration of the test, which may be as brief as 16 h,
but normally runs for 144 to 240 h or more giving ample opportunity for
observations at practical intervals of the effects of minor parameter
changes.
that can be used for the following 6-h repetitive cycles: 34-h
spray; 2-h dry-air purge; and 314-h soak at high relative
humidity.
A2.3.4 PurgePurging of the fog atmosphere immediately
after spraying is the most unique feature of this test. Dry all
droplets of water on the specimens and dry the corrosion
products so that they are of a white, rather than a damp gray
appearance. Perform this by electrically switching the air-flow
to by-pass the saturator tower and aspirator nozzle and allowing it to enter directly into the test chamber for 120 min at an
angle that sweeps the fog out of the peaked lid of the cabinet.
This reduces the relative humidity from 40 to 7 %, depending
on the climatic conditions of the ambient air. After purging, the
specimens remain in the closed cabinet until the next spray
cycle. Since most testing requires a wet bottom, the humidity
gradually increases from 65 to 95 % during this period.
A2.3.5 Atomization and Quantity of FogCollect the fog in
a special continuous spray run periodically between test runs.
Determine the proper consumption of solution by monitoring
solution level in the glass reservoir.
A3.2 Conditions in Saturator TowerMake sure the temperature in the saturator tower (bubble tower) is 47 6 1C
(1176 2F) if cabinet temperature is 35C (95F); and 57 6
1C (135 6 2F) if cabinet temperature is 49C (120F).
A3.3.2 HumidityAlthough the humidity limits for optimum test conditions have not been determined, results of an
interlaboratory testing program indicate that it is necessary to
operate under wet bottom conditions (that is, an inch or so of
water should always be present in the bottom of the box). This
ensures that the interior of the box does not become dry, a
condition that will decrease the corrosion rate.
A3.3.3 CabinetEquip the cabinet with a timing device
that can be used for the following cycle: 30-min spray followed
by 90-min soak at above 98 % relative humidity.
8
Ketcham, S. J., and Jeffrey, P. W., Localized Corrosion-Cause of Metal
Failure, ASTM STP 516, ASTM, 1973, pp. 273302.
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A4. SALT/SO2SPRAY (FOG) TESTING
A4.1 This test consists of spraying salt fog with introduction of SO2 gas directly into the chamber periodically.
A4.2 Salt Solution:
A4.2.1 Define the salt solution by using the specifications
covering the material or product being tested or upon mutual
agreement between the purchaser and the seller.
A4.2.2 If synthetic sea salt is specified, prepare it in
accordance with 6.2.
A4.2.3 If sodium chloride is specified, prepare it in accordance with 6.3.
NOTE A4.1It is highly desirable to have the SO2 gas introduced into
the chamber in such a way that a uniform dispersion throughout the
interior will result. If the cabinet is equipped with a central dispersion
tower, holes can be drilled in the poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)
baffle at the top of the tower so that the gas comes out of eight uniformly
spaced ports. There are undoubtedly other means for accomplishing a
uniform dispersion of the gas. However, avoid introducing the gas into the
chamber through one or two tubes at the side.
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A5. DILUTE ELECTROLYTE CYCLIC FOG/DRY TEST
with fresh air, such that within 34-h all visible moisture is dried
off of the specimens.
A5.1 This test consists of cycles of 1-h dry-off and 1-h fog.
The electrolyte is a solution of sodium chloride and ammonium
sulfate, and is much more dilute than traditional salt fog. The
fog is performed at room temperature, while the dry-off is at
elevated temperature. In addition, the spray atomizing air is not
saturated with water.
A5.4 Cabinet ModificationsIn order to achieve the temperature changes specified in this annex, modifications or
additions to Practice B 117 apparatus may be required. These
may include:
A5.4.1 Exposure chamber,
A5.4.2 Temperature controls,
A5.4.3 Air flow apparatus,
A5.4.4 Insulation, and
A5.4.5 Means for conditioning the heated air in the chamber
or water in the jacket.
A5.4.6 Consult the cabinet manufacturer for any additional
information or suggestions, or both.
A5.3.2 Fog TemperatureDuring the fog period, no heating is applied to the cabinet. The fog exposure is at ambient
room temperature and conditions.
NOTE A5.3 Ambient conditions shall be an indoor atmoshere with no
unusual pollution other than that arising from the test camber. Such
conditions shall be controlled to a temperature of 24 6 3C (75 6 6F)
and a relative humidity below 75 %. Different room temperatures can give
different results.
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