How Is Salt Fog Collection Measured in a Salt Fog Tester?

A coated bolt can look perfect on day one and show red rust on day four. Sometimes the coating is not to blame. The salt fog was simply too heavy in one corner of the test and too light in another. A gap of just 0.5 mL per hour can turn a pass into a fail, and no one can repeat the result.

This article shows how a Salt Fog Tester measures fog collection, which standards set the numbers, how it compares with a cyclic model, and how LIB Industry supports buyers worldwide. 

Solis, a metal manufacturing customer in Mexico using the S-250 Salt Spray Test Chamber, shared her feedback after resolving an equipment issue:"We replaced the contactor with a local supplier and the salt spray chamber works fine now. In case of needs your help, I will contact you." Her feedback highlights the importance of reliable equipment and responsive technical support throughout the service life of a Salt Spray Test Chamber.

Coated metal and fasteners fail first at edges, threads, and scratches. A Salt Fog Tester shows these weak spots in days instead of years, and fog collection is the check that keeps the test fair.

1. How the LIB Industry Salt Fog Tester Collects Salt Fog

ASTM B117 and ISO 9227 use the same idea. A clean funnel with an 80 cm² opening sits at sample level and drips into a graduated cylinder. The LIB Industry Salt Fog Tester includes a fog collector and fog measuring cylinder as standard. The steps are:

① Place at least two collectors, one near the spray tower and one far from it.

② Read the volume after each period. The target is 1 to 2 mL per 80 cm² per hour, averaged over at least 16 hours for ASTM B117 and 24 hours for ISO 9227. A cylinder showing 36 mL after 24 hours equals 1.5 mL per hour, right in range.

③ Check the liquid itself. ASTM B117 asks for 5 ± 1% NaCl and ISO 9227 asks for 50 ± 5 g/L. The pH should be 6.5 to 7.2 for NSS and 3.1 to 3.3 for AASS and CASS.

To hold these numbers, LIB Industry uses quartz nozzles, an atomizer tower, a constant 83 kPa spray pressure, and a saturated air barrel that preheats the air. Temperature stays at 35 ± 2 °C with fluctuation of ±0.5 °C.

2. LIB Industry as a Trusted Supplier for Coatings and Fasteners

A fog reading is only useful if the test chamber behind it is dependable. LIB Industry has built environmental test chambers since 2012, and the data below shows the scale.

Paras Defence & Space Technologies is a repeat buyer of the TH test chamber, the S-150 Salt Fog Tester, and the DI-800 Dust test chamber. Electricité de France trusts the weathering test chamber it bought from LIB Industry.

Why Customers Like the Salt Fog Tester

Customers mention three things most often.

① Repeatable results. Fluctuation of ±0.5 °C, deviation within ±2 °C, and PT100 Class A sensors keep every run alike.

② Easy control. The controller stores 120 programs of 100 steps each and logs temperature, spray time, and deposition. Data exports by USB or Ethernet for audit reports.

③ Tough and safe. The glass fiber reinforced plastic body resists 5% NaCl day after day, and the inverted V lid stops drip on samples. Dry burn, over temperature, over current, water shortage, and earth leakage protection guard the unit.

A Salt Fog Tester holds one steady condition, so it suits pass or fail checks and supplier acceptance. A Cyclic Salt Fog Tester loops through spray, dry, and humid stages, so it fits products that face real wet and dry weather. Let your specification decide. If it names ASTM B117 or ISO 9227, choose steady. If it names SAE J2334 or ISO 14993, choose cyclic.

① Time, event, and result. On January 16, 2023, the CNM Planning Lead Supervisor (Quality) of the Central Bank of Peru sent LIB Industry an inquiry about the S-150 Salt Fog Tester. In August of the same year, the general manager of the intermediary company also asked for details on the S-150. LIB Industry later learned that the test piece was a coin. The S-150 suited this job well. It offers 110 L of space with an internal size of 590 × 470 × 400 mm, which is plenty for small metal pieces. Fog is held at 1 to 2 mL per 80 cm² per hour and temperature at 35 ± 2 °C, so every coin sits in the same conditions. The Central Bank of Peru went on to purchase the S-150.

② IEC 60529 test method with values. Coins are not enclosures, but many buyers also check housings after salt exposure, and IEC 60529 sets the numbers. IPX4 uses splashing water at 10 L/min for 10 minutes. IPX5 uses a 6.3 mm nozzle at 12.5 L/min from 3 m for at least 3 minutes. IPX6 uses a 12.5 mm nozzle at 100 L/min and 100 kPa for at least 3 minutes. IP6X uses talcum powder at 2 kg per m³ for up to 8 hours.

③ Customization. The bank valued the way LIB Industry adapted sample holders, shelves, and functions to its needs, from the first inquiry through to delivery.

LIB Popular Spray Test Chambers and Climate Test Chambers

 

Cyclic Salt Fog Corrosion Test Chamber

Controlled Temperature, Humidity & Salt Spray for Realistic Simulation, Highly Popular.  

Salt Spray Test Chamber

Temperature & Salt Spray Control Only, Precision Salt Spray Measurement, Standard Compliant.  

ASTM G85 Salt And SO2 Salt Fog Corrosion Test Chamber

Controlled SO₂, Temperature, Humidity & Salt Spray for Industrial Environment Simulation.  

Xenon Arc Chamber Weatherometer

Realistic Sunlight Simulation, Water-Cooled Lamp for Stability & Durability, Top Choice for Coating Companies.  

UV aging test chamber

UV Light Simulation Test, Stable Light Source, High Uniformity of Light Exposure.  

Walk-in Salt Fog Corrosion Test Chamber

Large Test Pieces, High-Volume Testing; Flexible Customization of Size & Function.