What Is a Salt Spray Test Chamber Used For?

1. Natural Salt Spray Environments and the Corrosion Mechanism

Oceans cover approximately 71% of the Earth’s surface. Wave action, sea breezes, and tidal evaporation keep tiny chloride particles suspended in the air over coastal areas. In addition, industrial sulfur emissions, winter road de-icing salts, and dry salt dust from inland salt lakes expose products to aggressive chloride ions.

When chloride ions penetrate the protective layer of a metal surface (such as zinc plating, anodic oxide film, or paint), they form an electrochemical corrosion cell with the metal substrate. The chloride ions preferentially adsorb at defects in the passive film, displace oxygen, and form soluble metal chlorides. This locally breaks down the passive film, leading to pitting, crevice corrosion, or even stress corrosion cracking.

A salt spray test chamber is an accelerated corrosion testing device designed to simulate such chloriderich, humid environments. It generates a controlled salt spray atmosphere inside a laboratory, reproducing in days or weeks the corrosion effect that would take months or years in the natural environment. This allows engineers to evaluate a product’s corrosion resistance before market launch.

2. Which Industries and Products Require Salt Spray Testing?

Salt spray testing is not limited to a single industry – it applies to nearly all metal products and coated/plated surfaces. Typical application areas include:

3. Main International Standards for Salt Spray Testing

The results of salt spray tests depend heavily on test conditions (temperature, salt solution concentration, pH, deposition rate, spray pattern). To ensure comparability between different laboratories, international and industry standardisation bodies have established a number of test methods. A qualified salt spray test chamber should be capable of meeting all or part of the following standards:

Additional note: Neutral salt spray (NSS) is the most basic method, suitable for most metals and coatings. Acetic acid salt spray (AASS) uses glacial acetic acid to lower the pH, accelerating corrosion. Copper-accelerated acetic acid salt spray (CASS) adds copper chloride to the salt solution, producing the most aggressive environment – often used to evaluate copper-nickel-chromium coatings.

4. TEMAK Salt Spray Test Chambers

TEMAK offers a complete range of salt spray corrosion testing solutions, including standard salt spray chambers (PVC/FRP construction), cyclic corrosion test chambers, and walk-in cyclic corrosion chambers. All equipment is designed, manufactured, and calibrated in strict accordance with international standards.

4.1 Standard Salt Spray Chambers

Construction materials: Choose between corrosionresistant PVC (cost-effective) or FRP (higher mechanical strength). Suitable for NSS, AASS, and CASS tests.

Key design features:

• Lid sealing: The 110° angled lid ensures condensed water runs down the side walls without dripping onto test specimens. A water seal completely eliminates salt spray leakage.

• Spray system: Utilises the Bernoulli principle to atomise the salt solution, producing a fine, uniform mist. Nozzles are available in glass, acrylic, or stainless steel 316, with adjustable spray volume and angle.

• Air saturator tower: Made of stainless steel 316 with a cylindrical design and a steel spiral tube, ensuring fully saturated and stable airflow.

Temperature control accuracy:

• NSS test: chamber at 35°C ± 1°C, saturator at 47°C ± 1°C.

• CASS test: chamber at 50°C ± 1°C, saturator at 63°C ± 1°C.

• Representative specifications:

• Salt fog deposition rate: 1.5 ± 0.5 ml/80 cm²/h (16-hour average)

• Spray mode: Continuous or intermittent, programmable cycling

• Brine reservoir: 100 L built-in, expandable with external tank

4.2 Cyclic Corrosion Test Chambers

Cyclic corrosion chambers automatically sequence salt spray, humid, dry, and ambient dwell phases within a single test cycle. This more realistically simulates outdoor cyclic corrosion (e.g., an automotive chassis experiencing rain → drying → salt spray → high humidity). Some models can also be equipped with condensation water testing or spray (rinse) functions.

Typical test conditions: Compliant with IEC 60068-2-52 and GB/T 2423.18 cyclic salt spray standards, enabling complete sequences of salt spray → high humidity → drying → ambient dwell.

4.3 Applicable Testing Standards

TEMAK salt spray chambers are validated against the following standards before shipment:

• Chinese GB standards: GB/T 2423.17-2024, GB/T 10125-2021, GB/T 2423.18-2021, GB/T 6461-2002

• IEC standards: IEC 60068-2-52-2017, IEC 60068-2-12-11:2021

• Automotive: GMW3172-2023, ISO 16750-4:2023

• Military: GJB 150.11A-2009

• Others: ISO 9227:2022, ISO 10289-1999

4.4 Key Advantages of TEMAK Salt Spray Chambers

Robust materials & reliable sealing: PVC/FRP construction provides long corrosion resistance; water-seal design completely prevents salt spray leakage.

Uniform, stable spray: Bernoulli-principle atomisation + SS316 saturator + adjustable nozzles ensure consistent deposition rates.

Multi-function integration: Cyclic chambers automatically switch between salt spray, humid, dry, and ambient dwell – one machine for full cyclic corrosion testing.

Short lead times: Standard units: 4–6 weeks; customised non-standard units: 8–12 weeks, significantly faster than industry averages.

High cost-effectiveness: For comparable technical specifications, prices are approximately 50–60% of leading European/American brands.

Service & warranty: One-year wholeunit warranty, three-year warranty on key refrigeration components, lifetime repair support, remote diagnostics, and on-site training.

5. Summary

A salt spray test chamber is an essential tool that bridges the gap between “natural corrosive environments” and “product durability.” Whether you are in automotive, electronics, military, coatings, or fasteners, selecting a test chamber that meets international standards, provides stable and uniform spray, offers reliable sealing, and can handle cyclic corrosion testing is a critical step in ensuring product quality.

TEMAK’s salt spray test chamber series offers a high-value choice for global users, backed by solid materials, precise control, flexible configurations, and fast delivery. For detailed specifications, standard compliance reports, or solutions for specific test methods, please contact the TEMAK technical team via the official website.