Significance and Use

The outdoor corrosion of painted metals is influenced by many factors, including: corrosive atmospheres, rain, condensed dew, UV light, wet/dry cycling, and temperature cycling. These factors frequently have a synergistic effect on one another. This practice is intended to provide a more realistic simulation of the interaction of these factors than is found in traditional tests with continuous exposure to a static set of corrosive conditions.

Results obtained from this practice can be used to compare the relative durability of materials subjected to the specific test cycle used.

No single exposure test can be specified as a complete simulation of actual use conditions in outdoor environments. Results obtained from exposures conducted according to this practice can be considered as representative of actual outdoor exposures only when the degree of rank correlation has been established for the specific materials being tested. The relative durability of materials in actual outdoor service can be very different in different locations because of differences in UV radiation, time of wetness, temperature, pollutants, and other factors. Therefore, even if results from a specific artificial test condition are found to be useful for comparing the relative durability of materials exposed in a particular exterior environment, it cannot be assumed that they will be useful for determining relative durability for a different environment.

Even though it is very tempting, it is not recommended to calculate an acceleration factor relating x hours of laboratory exposure to y months of exterior exposure. Different materials and different formulations of the same material can have significantly different acceleration factors. The acceleration factor also varies depending on the variability in rate of degradation in the laboratory test and in actual outdoor exposure.

This practice is best used to compare the relative performance of materials tested at the same time in the same exposure device. Because of possible variability between the same type of exposure devices, it is not recommended to compare the amount of degradation in materials exposed for the same duration at separate times, or in separate devices running the same test condition. This practice should not be used to establish a pass/fail approval of materials after a specific period of exposure unless performance comparisons are made relative to a control material exposed simultaneously, or the variability in the test is rigorously quantified so that statistically significant pass/fail judgments can be made.

This practice has been found useful for air-dry industrial maintenance paints on steel ^{, , , ,} and zinc-rich primers but its applicability has not yet been assessed for galvanized substrates.

1. Scope

1.1 This practice covers basic principles and operating practice for cyclic corrosion/UV exposure of paints on metal, using alternating periods of exposure in two different cabinets: a cycling salt fog/dry cabinet, and a fluorescent UV/condensation cabinet.

1.2 This practice is limited to the methods of obtaining, measuring, and controlling exposure conditions, and procedures. It does not specify specimen preparation nor evaluation of results.

1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.

1.4 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 establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

2. Referenced Documents (purchase separately) The documents listed below are referenced within the subject standard but are not provided as part of the standard.

ASTM Standards

D610 Practice for Evaluating Degree of Rusting on Painted Steel Surfaces

D714 Test Method for Evaluating Degree of Blistering of Paints

D1654 Test Method for Evaluation of Painted or Coated Specimens Subjected to Corrosive Environments

D4587 Practice for Fluorescent UV-Condensation Exposures of Paint and Related Coatings

G85 Practice for Modified Salt Spray (Fog) Testing

G113 Terminology Relating to Natural and Artificial Weathering Tests of Nonmetallic Materials

G147 Practice for Conditioning and Handling of Nonmetallic Materials for Natural and Artificial Weathering Tests

G151 Practice for Exposing Nonmetallic Materials in Accelerated Test Devices that Use Laboratory Light Sources

G152 Practice for Operating Open Flame Carbon Arc Light Apparatus for Exposure of Nonmetallic Materials

G154 Practice for Operating Fluorescent Light Apparatus for UV Exposure of Nonmetallic Materials

G155 Practice for Operating Xenon Arc Light Apparatus for Exposure of Non-Metallic Materials

Keywords

accelerated aging/testing paints; corrosion; cyclic corrosion; rust; salt spray; ultraviolet; Accelerated aging/testing--paints/related coatings; Corrosion--paints/related coatings/materials; Cyclic corrosion testing; Rust; Salt spray (fog) testing; Ultraviolet (UV) analysis; UV/condensation cabinet;

ICS Code

ICS Number Code 25.220.01 (Surface treatment and coating in general)

DOI: 10.1520/D5894-10

ASTM International is a member of CrossRef.

ASTM D5894