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How to Choose a Salt Spray/Fog Test Chamber
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Q. We're looking to purchase our own salt spray chamber and run testing in-house for coating comparison & understanding change in performance (motors) after exposure to corrosive atmospheres.
Since we're just starting I was hoping to purchase a fairly low cost benchtop system and if the results are positive we could scale up to a larger chamber.
In the past I've worked at startups that bought chambers from Chinese manufacturer's off Alibaba/Aliexpress. I'm actually a fan of this approach, the equipment tends to be the same but instructions/quality can be a hit or miss. Unfortunately I've never been directly involved in purchasing these chambers so I'm not familiar with the suppliers and don't have a sense of which are reliable...
I guess my question has a few parts.
1. Who are some good low cost, entry level suppliers of salt spray chambers?
2. Any tips on purchasing from an unknown supplier? (Send them a test piece, have them run a calibration test? Accreditation?)
3. What is the minimum useful chamber size? (Kind of a silly question I know)
For more context, we typically run ASTM B117 and ASTM G85 depending on the coating
- Foster City, California
July 7, 2021
A. Hi Gurshan.
We can't suggest brands or sources (huh? why?), but several very good thoughts have already been offered on other threads is you search the site. I would add that if instructions are hit or miss you probably won't be able to certify to anything, so I'd request the instruction manual before ordering the unit. Also, not all units can run all tests, so you might want to determine if additional accelerated corrosion tests are important to you before ordering.
15 cubic foot chambers are not unusual. What is it that you will be testing and why?
Luck & Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
What is the latest and greatest standard for realistic accelerated corrosion?
Q. I've been seeing SAE J2334 touted as the current standard for "realistic" accelerated corrosion testing. Is this still the case or was SAE J2334 just the first major cyclic corrosion test standard?
For context this testing would be for automotive parts (hinges, brackets, small actuators) all exposed to the environment with different coatings and substrates. I plan on running targeted coating corrosion tests but would also like to run a general assembly level test to see how the components perform after.
I've seen the following referenced in relation to SAE J2334.
- ISO 11474
- ACT 1 (Volvo)
- ACT 2 (Volvo)
- CETP 00.00-L-467 (Ford)
- D17 2028 (Renault)
- JASO M 609
- VDA 621-415
On a similar note is there an easy way to find the equivalent standard across different governing bodies? (Find the most similar SAE standard for a given ASTM standard)
- Foster City, California
July 13, 2021
A. Hi Gurshan. There will always be newer and better tests, but there will also be the perennial quandary that accelerated testing with its fundamentally different corrosion mechanisms will never be quite realistic :-)
As the most glaring example, although it doesn't apply to the automotive sector too much, hot dip galvanizing is doubtless the only finish that can protect steel for 50, 75, even 100 years or more, and often with no maintenance ... yet it performs poorly in salt spray testing because its fundamental mechanism, the slow formation of glassy carbonate reaction products, requires months or years and cannot occur in accelerated testing.
Luck & Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
⇩ Closely related postings, oldest first ⇩
SALT SPRAY
TEST CHAMBERS
on
eBay
or
Amazon
(affil links)
Q. I was wondering as to how a choice of a salt spray chamber is made? Suppose I want to buy a salt spray chamber for corrosion testing what are the factors to be considered?
Asha Ingle- Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
2001
A. 1. Buy only from a manufacturer that has a representative in your country.
- 1.1 Make sure that the representative can give you technical support when something goes wrong.
- 1.2 Make sure that the representative has spare parts in his stock.
2. Don't buy a cabinet if its volume is less than the minimum required according to ASTM B117.
3. Don't buy a cabinet made of stainless steel, only from plastic. The SS will corrode.
Sara Michaeli
Tel-Aviv-Yafo, Israel
A. I would like to add some suggestions to the previous reply regarding the selection of a salt spray chamber:
1. Compare the apparatus description in ASTM B117 to the equipment design and make sure it meets B117. (There is NO size requirement.)
2. Ask for references in your area and contact them.
3. Choose a size which will allow for ample space in the chamber.
4. Ask about utility requirements.
5. Ask about what other accessories may be needed which the manufacturer is not providing, such as air regulators, filters, etc.
- Sylvania, Ohio, USA
A. Look for flexibility in tests and ease of maintenance. If you buy a cabinet that can only run B117, that's all you'll get. A good cyclic cabinet will be able to not only run B117 but also CASS, SWAAT, humidity tests, etc.
For maintenance, make sure swapping out tubing, nozzles, heater elements, is relatively simple.
Also, as someone noted, get plastic. Stay away from coated steel. My experience has been the coating lasts a year (at most) and then fails. Even though you can patch it (which requires downtime), your cabinet will eventually corrode through.
You're best sticking with a brand name.
Christian M. Restifo- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
2001
RFQ: My company is very interested in purchasing a small (15 Cu Ft) salt spray cabinet
Colin P [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]- Tucker, Georgia
1998
Ed. note: Sorry, this RFQ is old & outdated, so contact info is no longer available. However, if you feel that something technical should be said in reply, please post it; no public commercial suggestions please ( huh? why?)
RFQ: Hi,
I am looking to buy a used salt spray chamber, minimum capacity 15 cubic feet. Please e-mail me.
George G [last name deleted for privacy by Editor]Senior Research Chemist - Naperville, Illinois
2003
Ed. note: Sorry, this RFQ is old & outdated, so contact info is no longer available. However, if you feel that something technical should be said in reply, please post it; no public commercial suggestions please ( huh? why?)
SALT SPRAY
TEST CHAMBERS
on
eBay
or
Amazon
(affil links)
What's the smallest volume of a salt spray chamber?
RFQ: Where do I find to buy?
Sabrina Silva - Porto Alegre, R. grande do Sul, BrazilAugust 17, 2009
Ed. note: Sorry, this RFQ is old & outdated, so contact info is no longer available. However, if you feel that something technical should be said in reply, please post it; no public commercial suggestions please ( huh? why?)
A. Hi, Sabrina. I think I've seen chambers about 2 foot x 2-1/2 foot x 3 foot = 15 cubic foot interior. Good luck.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
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