Corrosion testing determines a material’s sensitivity to chemical reactions that cause damage. It is offered by materials testing labs and used for quality control, product development, and accident reconstructions. The type of test used depends on the material and needs. Corrosion can cause aesthetic problems or serious damage, so companies are careful in designing and manufacturing products to limit the possibility of corrosion damage. The process is destructive and cannot be used for materials and components that must be left intact after testing.
A corrosion test is a type of material testing in which the goal is to determine the sensitivity of a material to chemical reactions that could cause damage. In corrosion testing, a material is subjected to simulated conditions and then carefully analyzed for signs of cracking, fatigue, pitting and other damage. This type of testing is offered by many materials testing labs and the cost varies depending on the material being tested and the types of tests being administered.
Corrosion leads to rust, cracks, pitting, splitting and a variety of other forms of damage. At a low level, corrosion can cause an aesthetic problem, but it can also seriously affect a material and cause it to fail. Corroded fittings can become a safety risk or interfere with the efficiency of an operation. For this reason, companies are very careful in how they design and manufacture products, in order to limit the possibility of corrosion damage that could put an equipment out of service before the end of its expected life.
The type of test used depends on the material and needs. Things like components for space shuttles are tested very rigorously, for example, because there’s a very low fault tolerance anywhere. On the other hand, garden hose fittings don’t require such meticulous testing. When items are sent in for testing, the lab can make recommendations for a corrosion test based on the material and how it will be used.
In a basic corrosion test, the material is subjected to a corrosive material, such as salt water, and then observed. Scientific instruments are used to monitor the ongoing chemical reactions that occur during the corrosion test. The test rig takes note of when corrosion begins to appear and how quickly a component is rendered unusable by corrosion. Some companies also offer corrosion stress tests such as boiling in manganese to determine when materials fail under stress.
Companies developing new coatings, materials and components use corrosion tests to determine whether or not their products will meet the needs for which they were designed. Additionally, laboratory corrosion testing can be used for quality control, in accident reconstructions where the goal is to determine whether the corrosion was natural or induced, and in other contexts when people want to learn more about materials. The corrosion test process is destructive in nature and cannot be used for materials and components that must be left intact after testing.
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