ASTM B117 TESTING SERVICES
Auto Technology Company provides ASTM B117 testing services for metals, protective coatings, plated finishes, fasteners, components, test panels, and finished assemblies. Our materials and corrosion laboratory performs controlled, continuous salt spray testing and salt fog testing for product qualification, supplier approval, comparative evaluation, quality control, research, and independent third-party verification.
Programs are run in dozens of corrosion chambers, including walk-in systems for large parts and complete assemblies. ASTM B117 defines how the salt-fog environment is created and maintained; your product specification or the test plan ATC confirms with you defines the specimens, exposure duration, inspections, evaluation, and acceptance criteria.
Controlled B117 Exposure
Continuous neutral salt fog maintained and documented around the operating conditions required by ASTM B117.
Dozens of Test Chambers
Multiple cabinet sizes and walk-in chambers support test panels, production parts, large components, and complete assemblies.
Documented Results
Test records, exposure details, inspection results, deviations, and photography matched to the scope ATC confirms with you.
Standards expertise behind the testing: Auto Technology personnel have longstanding direct involvement with ASTM Committee G01 on Corrosion of Metals and its subcommittees, including leadership and participation in the development, revision, interpretation, and maintenance of corrosion testing standards.
Send the governing specification, exposure duration, specimen quantity and dimensions, evaluation requirements, and requested completion date.
What Is ASTM B117 Salt Spray Testing?
ASTM B117 is the Standard Practice for Operating Salt Spray (Fog) Apparatus. It establishes the apparatus, procedure, and operating conditions used to create and maintain a controlled corrosive environment. Metals and coated metals are exposed to a continuous neutral salt fog so their relative corrosion performance can be examined under a repeatable laboratory condition.
The terms salt spray testing and salt fog testing are commonly used interchangeably in connection with ASTM B117. The apparatus atomizes a prepared sodium-chloride solution to create the fog. Properly directed or baffled atomizers prevent direct spray from striking the specimens.
ASTM B117 is an exposure practice, not a universal product-performance specification.
It does not prescribe one test duration, specimen design, evaluation method, acceptance limit, or pass/fail result for every product.
Those requirements must come from your material or product specification or from the test plan ATC confirms with you before exposure begins.
What ASTM B117 results can—and cannot—tell you
B117 testing can provide relative corrosion-resistance information, support comparisons between materials or finishes, and document performance against a defined product requirement. It is frequently used for coating qualification, supplier validation, process-control checks, comparative development work, and investigation of changes in corrosion behavior.
A standalone ASTM B117 result should not be converted into a specific number of years in outdoor or field service. The practice states that correlation with natural environments has seldom been established from salt spray data alone. Any correlation or extrapolation requires appropriate corroborating long-term atmospheric exposure data for the material system being evaluated.
Need the detailed apparatus requirements rather than contract testing? See the ASTM B117 salt spray chamber requirements guide.
Industries and ASTM B117 Testing Programs
ASTM B117 testing is used across industries that rely on metals, protective coatings, plated finishes, conversion coatings, fasteners, connectors, fabricated components, and finished assemblies. ATC builds each program around your applicable product, OEM, military, or procurement specification rather than applying one generic exposure and evaluation plan to every specimen.
Transportation and Engineered Products
Automotive and transportation: plated fasteners, brackets, coated panels, underbody parts, trim, hardware, fabricated components, and assemblies.
Aerospace and defense: specification-driven testing of finishes, coatings, hardware, fasteners, metallic components, and assemblies.
Electronics and electrical equipment: connectors, terminals, enclosures, housings, hardware, and assemblies when B117 is specified.
Coatings, Finishing and Metal Products
Paint, coatings and finishing: liquid and powder coatings, pretreatments, conversion coatings, passivation systems, and plated finishes.
Industrial and infrastructure: structural finishes, fabricated products, industrial equipment, construction products, and outdoor systems.
Fasteners and metal products: screws, bolts, clips, stampings, machined parts, castings, and other coated or plated products.
Available B117 program options
Specimens and Exposure
- Coated or uncoated metals.
- Painted, powder-coated, plated, passivated, and conversion-coated specimens.
- Standard panels, production parts, fasteners, components, large parts, and complete assemblies.
- Scribed or unscribed specimens.
- Specimens you supply or have ATC prepare.
- Short- and long-duration continuous exposures.
- Cabinet and walk-in-chamber programs.
Inspections and Evaluation
- Scheduled intermediate inspections or end-of-test evaluation.
- Time-to-first-corrosion programs.
- White corrosion, red corrosion, rusting, and blistering ratings.
- Underfilm corrosion and scribe-creep or delamination measurements.
- Coating-adhesion and mass-change measurements.
- Comparisons among coatings, suppliers, batches, pretreatments, or processes.
- Observations, photography, acceptance criteria, and reporting you specify.
Not sure which corrosion test applies?
Send ATC the product specification, drawing note, OEM requirement, or a description of what you need to
evaluate. We can review it with you and confirm whether ASTM B117 is appropriate or whether the work calls
for acidified salt spray, CASS, cyclic corrosion, humidity, condensation, immersion, or another program.
How Auto Technology Runs an ASTM B117 Test Program
Auto Technology confirms the requirement, plans specimen preparation and loading, controls the exposure, completes the specified inspections, and records the data required for the final report.
1. We review your requirements with you
Before testing begins, ATC reviews your request with you and confirms the applicable standard and revision, specimen identification and quantity, areas of interest, preparation, orientation, exposure time, inspection points, post-test handling, evaluation methods, acceptance criteria, photography, and reporting. When your specification does not provide every detail, we explain the available options and document the plan you approve.
2. We confirm specimen preparation and chamber setup
We confirm whether you will send test-ready specimens or want ATC to perform cleaning, coating, masking, edge protection, scribing, or other preparation. We also confirm racking and support, chamber capacity, runoff control, intermediate inspections, control specimens, special fixturing, and any variation you approve from the requested procedure. If you only have a drawing note, an exposure time, or a general test objective, our corrosion laboratory can help you turn that information into a complete test plan.
3. We establish and monitor the controlled salt-fog environment
During operation, the chamber exposure zone, prepared solution, collected solution, conditioned air, fog delivery, and collection rate are controlled around the applicable B117 requirements. The exposure is continuous except for the short interruptions needed for inspection, specimen handling, solution replenishment, and required measurements.
| Control Area | ASTM B117-25 Requirement | Laboratory Control |
|---|---|---|
| Exposure-zone temperature | 35 ± 2°C | Temperature is controlled and recorded with the chamber closed. |
| Salt solution | 5 ± 1 parts sodium chloride by mass in 95 parts water | Solution is prepared with water conforming to the applicable ASTM D1193 Type IV provisions and qualifying sodium chloride. |
| Collected-solution pH | 6.5 to 7.2, measured at 23 ± 3°C | Collected fog is sampled and its pH is measured and recorded at the required interval. |
| Fog collection | 1.0 to 2.0 mL/h per 80 cm², averaged over at least 16 h | At least two collectors per atomizer tower are positioned near the specimens and used to verify fallout. |
| Collected-solution concentration | 5 ± 1% sodium chloride by mass | Concentration or specific gravity and solution temperature are documented using an appropriate measurement method. |
| Compressed air | Free of grease, oil, and dirt and suitably conditioned | Filtered, conditioned air supports stable atomization and a wet salt-fog environment. |
| Fog delivery | No direct spray impingement on specimens | Atomizers are directed or baffled to distribute fog rather than directly spray the test surfaces. |
| Exposure continuity | Continuous unless the governing specification states otherwise | Necessary interruptions and their duration are recorded. |
4. We complete the specified inspections and closeout
At the end of exposure, specimens are removed carefully and handled according to the governing procedure. Unless another requirement applies, B117 permits specimens to be gently washed or dipped in clean running water no warmer than 38°C to remove salt deposits and then dried immediately. ATC then performs the specified visual examination, photography, cleaning, coating removal, scribe measurement, adhesion testing, or other required evaluations and documents the results.
ASTM B117 Test Specimens and Sample Preparation
You can send Auto Technology production parts or prepared panels that are ready to test. ATC can also perform substrate preparation, blasting, custom panel fabrication, coating application, cleaning, masking, edge protection, mechanical scribing, and other required preparation. The appropriate route depends on whether the project evaluates a production process, qualifies a coating system, compares formulations, or investigates a failure.
Send Us Test-Ready Specimens
Send production parts or prepared panels with identification, the governing specification, exposure duration, orientation and support instructions, areas to be evaluated, and any required inspection or acceptance criteria. Include coating, plating, pretreatment, cure, and lot information when relevant.
Laboratory Preparation
ATC can prepare representative substrates, apply coatings, fabricate custom panels, document the prepared specimens, clean and mask defined areas, protect edges, and produce controlled scribes before exposure.
Specimen details that affect the test
- Cleaning: Specimens must be suitably cleaned without recontamination from careless handling. The appropriate method depends on the surface and contaminants.
- Coated specimens: Painted or nonmetallic-coated specimens are prepared under your applicable material specification or test plan and are not cleaned or handled excessively before exposure.
- Scribes: A scratch or scribed line is made only when the program is intended to evaluate corrosion development from an intentional coating defect. The scribing conditions must be defined.
- Cut edges and identification areas: Unless otherwise specified, exposed cut edges, identifying marks, and rack-contact areas on plated, coated, or duplex materials are protected with a stable suitable coating.
- Orientation: ASTM B117-25 Section 7.1.1 requires the surface of interest to be supported or suspended between 15° and 30° from vertical unless another specification states otherwise. The same section recommends consistent orientation within the chamber to minimize variability.
- Loading: Specimens cannot contact one another, metallic material, or wicking material. Each specimen must receive unobstructed fog exposure, and solution from one specimen cannot drip onto another.
More information upfront makes the testing easier.
If available, send your complete product specification, drawing note, or other governing requirement along with the
exposure duration, specimen list, preparation instructions, inspection schedule, evaluation criteria, and
reporting needs. If you only have part of that information, send what you have. ATC will review it with you,
identify the remaining decisions, and help establish the test plan before exposure begins.
Post-Exposure Evaluation and Acceptance Criteria
ASTM B117 calls for careful and immediate examination but does not supply a universal rating system or acceptance limit. Your product specification or test plan determines what ATC measures and what constitutes acceptable performance.
Available evaluations
ATC can perform the following work when specified by the product requirement or test plan:
- Visual observations and photographs at specified inspection points and after exposure.
- Time to first white or red corrosion.
- Rusting, blistering, and underfilm-corrosion ratings.
- Scribe-creep or delamination measurements using the specified preparation, cleaning, and rating method.
- Coating adhesion, mass change, and related coatings-performance measurements.
- Observations and acceptance criteria you specify.
Need more than a continuous neutral salt fog?
ASTM G85,
ISO 9227 AASS or CASS,
humidity, condensation, immersion, cyclic corrosion, or an OEM-specific program may be more appropriate when the requirement calls for different chemistry or environmental transitions.
ASTM B117 Test Records and Reporting
Your report reflects the program ATC confirms with you. It identifies your samples and test requirement, documents how the exposure was conducted, provides the applicable test data and photographs, and records the observations or evaluation results you requested. ATC identifies any test-specific limitation, interruption, or approved deviation in the report.
Typical report content
- Your organization, the ATC laboratory, project, and sample identification.
- Referenced ASTM B117 edition and your governing product, material, OEM, or procurement specification.
- Sample quantity, description, and other relevant identification.
- Test duration, start and completion dates, and chamber or test details.
- Salt-solution makeup, pH, concentration or salinity, measurement temperature, and collection data as applicable to the test.
- Setup, progress, or final photographs you request.
- Post-test rinsing, drying, cleaning, or other handling when performed.
- Requested observations, inspection results, evaluation results, and disposition of the samples.
- Interruptions, limitations, or deviations that apply to the reported results.
Information needed for an ASTM B117 testing quote
- Your complete governing standard, product specification, drawing note, OEM requirement, or procedure, including revision.
- Requested exposure duration and any intermediate inspection schedule.
- Specimen type, material, finish or coating system, quantity, dimensions, and weight.
- Whether you will send test-ready specimens or want ATC to perform preparation, coating, masking, edge protection, or scribing.
- Required specimen orientation, racking, electrical state, functional state, or special fixturing.
- Required evaluations, rating methods, acceptance criteria, photographs, and reporting format.
- Target start date, required completion date, and any witness, confidentiality, or shipping requirements.
Why Choose Auto Technology for ASTM B117 Testing?
Auto Technology operates the laboratory and designs and manufactures corrosion test chambers. Our corrosion specialists work with the standard, the specimens, and the equipment used to create the exposure—not just the final report.
Corrosion Capacity and Experience
17,500+ sq. ft. and 80 test systems: capacity for corrosion, materials, analytical, and environmental programs.
Dozens of corrosion chambers: cabinet and walk-in systems for panels, production parts, large components, complete assemblies, long exposures, and parallel programs.
Related laboratory work: cyclic corrosion, humidity, condensation, immersion, gas corrosion, coatings testing, analytical investigation, and failure analysis.
Standards and Project Support
ASTM involvement: ATC personnel have held leadership roles within ASTM Committee G01, including service as chair of ASTM B117, and have participated directly in developing and maintaining corrosion standards.
Preparation through reporting: specimen and coating preparation, exposure, evaluation, photography, and final reporting can remain under one project.
Strongsville, Ohio: laboratory, engineering, and manufacturing resources are located together at ATC’s facility near Cleveland.
Accreditation is scope-specific.
Auto Technology operates an A2LA-accredited laboratory, but accreditation applies only to the tests and systems identified on the current accredited scope. Confirm the required method, revision, system, and accreditation status when requesting a quote.
Review the broader Auto Technology materials and corrosion testing laboratory for related environmental exposure, coatings, analytical, and investigation capabilities.
ASTM B117 Testing Services FAQ
Are salt spray testing and salt fog testing different?
No. In ASTM B117 work, the terms describe the same continuous exposure. Atomized salt solution creates the fog, but the atomizer must not spray the specimens directly.
What are the main ASTM B117 test conditions?
ASTM B117-25 requires an exposure-zone temperature of 35 ± 2°C; a sodium-chloride solution prepared at 5 ± 1 parts by mass in 95 parts qualifying water; collected-solution pH of 6.5 to 7.2; collected-solution concentration of 5 ± 1% by mass; and fog collection of 1.0 to 2.0 mL per hour per 80 cm² of horizontal collection area, based on an average run of at least 16 hours. Clean, suitably conditioned compressed air and non-impinging fog delivery are also required.
How many hours does an ASTM B117 test require?
There is no universal B117 duration. Your product specification or other governing requirement normally establishes the exposure period. If it does not, ATC will confirm the duration with you before testing; B117 suggests multiples of 24 hours.
Does ASTM B117 define a passing result?
No. Your product, coating, OEM, military, or procurement specification defines the evaluation method and acceptance criteria. If it does not, ATC will review the available options with you before testing.
Can ASTM B117 hours be converted into years of field service?
Not from B117 results alone. Any correlation or extrapolation requires appropriate long-term atmospheric exposure data for the relevant material system.
Can Auto Technology prepare or coat test panels?
Yes. Auto Technology can perform substrate preparation, blasting, custom panel fabrication, coating application, masking, edge protection, scribing, and related specimen preparation. You can also send ATC production parts or prepared panels that are ready to test.
Can ATC test large parts or complete assemblies?
Yes. ATC operates dozens of corrosion chambers, including walk-in systems for large parts and complete assemblies. Send drawings, dimensions, weight, photographs, support requirements, and the applicable specification so ATC can select the correct chamber and plan the required orientation and loading with you.
Is ASTM B117 testing within ATC’s A2LA-accredited scope?
Accreditation is method-, revision-, and system-specific. Auto Technology operates an A2LA-accredited laboratory, but not every chamber or service is necessarily included within the accredited scope. Tell us in your quote request if you need accredited testing so we can confirm the current scope and applicable system with you.
Request an ASTM B117 Testing Quote
Tell us what you are testing, which specification and revision apply, how long the exposure must run, and how the specimens must be evaluated. Auto Technology can quote testing for specimens you supply or a broader program that includes preparation, controlled salt-fog exposure, specified post-test evaluation, photography, and reporting.