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 o