×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

Estimating Time to First Signs of Corrosion

Estimating Time to First Signs of Corrosion

Estimating Time to First Signs of Corrosion

(OP)
I have been tasked with investigating the "time to corrosion" of a new product which is currently in development.  This unit will be enclosed by a sheetmetal cabinet and will be located outdoors.  Previous units have been made of powdercoated cold-rolled steel but we have seen corrosion problems in installations in coastal areas.

Does anyone know of any references which correlate salt-spray testing (or other corrosion testing) with the "time to corrosion"?  In other words, test "A" equals "B" years of service using material "C" with finishing "D"?  I need to provide some documentation which supports that the combination of material and finish which is selected will last for the life of the product (15-20 years).

RE: Estimating Time to First Signs of Corrosion

The short answer to your question is no. Accelerated corrosion tests do not correlate well with real world resistance to corrosion. I would suggest that you examine various components in costal areas that have a known history of satisfactory corrosion resistance and build on that. Paint manufacturers should be able to provide some guidance as to film thickness and pre-treatment options that would get you in the ballpark.

RE: Estimating Time to First Signs of Corrosion

You can hire consultants, such as LaQue ( http://www.laque.com/ ) to help you with this.  They have decades of experience with coastal exposure and lab testing.
Lab testing will be very good at helping you rank various materials options.  If you have real experience with some of them then maybe you will have an idea of the time scale.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Rust never sleeps
Neither should your protection
http://www.trent-tube.com/contact/Tech_Assist.cfm

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources