Corrosion Testing Standards

The test standard summaries are for general guidance only. Though believed to be accurate at the time of writing, this may change over time. So this information should not be used as a substitute for referring to a complete test standard, at an appropriate revision level.

Note: the terms salt spray, salt mist and salt fog are all in wide spread use within corrosion test standards. In this context they can be considered to be equivalent and interchangeable terms.

FORD CETP00.00-L-467

Ford Laboratory Accelerated Cyclic Corrosion Test

This Ford test procedure serves as a general purpose atmospheric corrosion test which can be applied to a wide variety of materials, coatings and interactions of materials.

This test is cyclic in nature, meaning test specimens are exposed to changing climates over time. It has been developed to allow the evaluation of the corrosion resistance of metals in environments where there is a significant influence of chloride ions, mainly as sodium chloride (salt) by winter road de-icing salt or from a marine source i.e. being subjected to sea salt.

Component parts, assemblies or test specimens are placed in our enclosed Atmosfar Chambers and exposed to a changing climate. Over the first 5 days the test specimens are subjected to the following 3 part repeating cycle. 6.0 hours exposure to a ‘wet’ climate of no less than 95%RH, at +25°C, with intermittent exposure to salt solution. This is followed by 2.5 hours climate controlled transition to 50°C & 70%RH. The next stage subjects the test specimens to 15.5 hours exposure to a constant climate of 50°C & 70%RH. The final 2 days comprise of 48.0 hours exposure to a constant climate of 50°C & 70%RH. This completes the total 7 day test cycle. The cycle can be repeated meaning the test duration is variable as subject to requirements.

This test is also referred to as a Cyclic Corrosion Test, often abbreviated to CCT.