ASTM B117 – Salt Spray Test – Updated

ASTM B117, “Standard Practice for Operating Salt Spray (Fog) Apparatus” has just been updated.  This is the go-to standard on how to do a salt spray test, used to determine corrosion and it’s effects on a wide variety of metals and coated metals.   Of course, when I first starting taking orders for this extensively used publication, I couldn’t figure out why you’d do such a test.  Then someone mentioned ocean water and I got it!  Any time something is going to be used on a ship or anywhere near the ocean, the salt spray test is a necessity.

The last update in 2009 had a wide variety of changes.  This 2016 Edition has far fewer changes.  You’ll use the redline edition to capture them all, but in my review the most notable change is the addition of a new Note 1.  Of course, adding a new note at the beginning of the document means that all the other notes are now renumbered…

If you’ve never used this Standard Practice before, you’ll find that it gives you the details on setting up a test chamber to provide a controlled corrosive environment.  Your specimens will then be tested in such a way as to produce relative corrosion resistance information.  And since this is the type of test that may produce some variation in results, it’s possible that you’ll repeat your testing a number of times to determine variability.

As with many ASTM standards, you’ll not only get information on the test equipment and the test itself, but also on the reporting requirements for your results.  So whether you’re buying the services of a test lab to run your test for you or doing the testing for yourself or others, the information to be communicated about your results is set out clearly.

Now if you’re using this document, you’ll want the new 2016 Edition.  You can order it online at the Document Center webstore, www.document-center.com.  We’re an authorized distributor of the ASTM standards.  For your convenience, here’s a direct link to the order page for ASTM B117.

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New ASTM B117 2011 Edition, Standard Practice for Operating Salt Spray (Fog) Apparatus

ASTM B117:2011, “Standard Practice for Operating Salt Spray (Fog) Apparatus,” has just been released.  The 12 page standard is also available in a redline edition, which means that when you purchase the copyright document, you not only get the new edition, but also a copy of the previous 2009 Edition with all the corrections “redlined.”

One of the first standards to catch my interest, ASTM B117 is the oldest (originally issued in 1937) and most widely used cabinet test.  It’s used primarily to compare the corrosion resistance of painted or metal coated samples.

ASTM B117 covers the apparatus, procedure, and conditions required to create and maintain the salt spray (fog) test environment.  It provides a controlled corrosive environment which has been utilized to produce relative corrosion resistance information for specimens of metals and coated metals.

The reproducibility of results in the salt spray exposure is highly dependent on the type of specimens tested and the evaluation criteria selected, as well as the control of the operating variables. In any testing program, sufficient replicates should be included to establish the variability of the results.

Variability has been observed when similar specimens are tested in different fog chambers even though the testing conditions are nominally similar and within the ranges specified in the practice.

ASTM standards, both current and obsolete, are available from Document Center Inc. at our website, www.document-center.com.  Use our website to view the history of the standard as well, with more detail available than even at the ASTM International site.  Or contact us by phone (650-591-7600), fax (650-591-7617) or email (info@document-center.com).  We’re happy to assist you with your standards needs.