ASTM B117: The most popular accelerated metal corrosion test standard

ASTM B117 Standard – A protocol for operating the Salt Spray (fog) Apparatus

At Micom Laboratories, the most requested accelerated corrosion test is the ASTM B117 standard. The ASTM B117 provides guidelines for operating the Salt Spray (fog) Apparatus, which is able to create a highly controlled corrosive environment for testing metals and coated metals samples under various conditions.

Salt spray testing, one of the many accelerated aging tests offered by Micom, is used to simulate on an accelerated basis different real life outdoor conditions. This corrosion test was initially published by ASTM International in 1939 and has since quickly gained worldwide recognition.

Corrosion, also often incorrectly referred to as “rust”, plays a significant role in many industries both from a design and maintenance perspective. For the record; rust pertains exclusively to the Iron oxidation process.

Corrosion effect on product structure

If we consider the Aerospace industry, corrosion of materials in commercial or military aircrafts, for example, can lead to devastating results. Even slight degradation of metals when exposed to harsh or fast changing atmospheric conditions can become lethal to the aircraft and the crew on board. Structural strength of materials and their ability to withstand rust over long use cycles become a critical element to consider.

Corrosion effect on product esthetics

For some industries like the automobile industry, corrosion affects more the esthetic aspect of the final products. Metal parts in cars and trucks are also subject to the effects of different climate exposures (rain, heat, sun, snow, salt on the road, etc.,). However, when compared to the Aerospace industry, metal deterioration in cars will not likely result in fatal accidents but instead affect the monetary value of the product. In this case, and more specifically when rust is visible on the body of the car, the effect of electrochemical oxidation of metal or corrosion will decrease the resale value of the car and will likely contribute to a lower customer satisfaction with the purchased product.

Financial impact of corrosion

In addition to products, whether commercial or retail, metal deterioration can also affect the value of infrastructure projects and more long-term fixed assets that often require important initial capital investments and have long payoff schedules. In case