The Emctest laboratory carries out salt fog tests: a test that allows to evaluate the capacity of a material or surface coatings applied to it (such as painting, burnishing, galvanizing, etc.) to resist the corrosion caused by the atmospheric agents to which they are subjected. In the last years, the cycle corrosion test is carried ou together with the continuous test in salt spray in a saturated environment. The cycle corrosion test recreates the process of accelerated corrosion closer to natural aging performed by alternating exposure to saline with high humidity / temperature at the phase of drying (scab in door test). A salt spray test can last from a few hours to thousands of hours as it depends on the moment when the corrosive phenomenon triggers. Often time minimum required to perform the test is dictated by product specifications or suggested by the results history available.

The most used reference standard is the UNI EN ISO 9227: Corrosion tests in artificial atmospheres - Salt spray tests. This standard specifies the equipment, reagents and procedure to be used to perform neutral salt fog tests (NSS), saline-acetic fog (AASS) and cuprous acetic saline fog (CASS), to evaluate the resistance to corrosion of metallic materials, with or without protections permanent or temporary anti-corrosion agents.

Other reference standards are:
UNI EN ISO 2409, EN ISO 6270-2, ISO 50451, ISO 6988, ISO 7253, ISO 11503, DIN 50017, DIN 50018, DIN 50021, DIN EN ISO 7253 ASTM B368 T, ASTM B117, SAE J2334. There are also industry standards such as FIAT 50180, FIAT 50470, FIAT 50461, FIAT 50488/01, FIAT 50451 and PV 1210, VW TL 260 etc.

Once the test is finished, an evaluation of the parts submitted to the tests is performed and then, in addition to verifying the standards indicated by the customer, other international regulations are ascertained as:


• UNI EN ISO 4628-2: Paints and varnishes - Evaluation of degradation of coatings - Designation of quantity and size of defects, and of intensity of uniform changes in appearance Assessment of degree of blistering;
• UNI EN ISO 4628-3: Paints and varnishes - Evaluation of degradation of coatings - Designation of quantity and size of defects, and of intensity of uniform changes in appearance - Part 3: Assessment of degree of rusting (ISO 4628-3:2016);
• UNI EN ISO 4628-4: Paints and varnishes - Evaluation of degradation of coatings - Designation of quantity and size of defects, and of intensity of uniform changes in appearance - Part 4: Assessment of degree of cracking (ISO 4628-4:2016);
• UNI EN ISO 4628-5: Paints and varnishes - Evaluation of degradation of coatings - Designation of quantity and size of defects, and of intensity of uniform changes in appearance Assessment of degree of flaking;
• UNI EN ISO 4628-6: Paints and varnishes - Evaluation of degradation of coatings - Designation of quantity and size of defects, and of intensity of uniform changes in appearance Assessment of degree of chalking by tape method;
• UNI EN ISO 4628-8: Paints and varnishes - Evaluation of degradation of coatings - Designation of quantity and size of defects, and of intensity of uniform changes in appearance Assessment of degree of delamination and corrosion around a scribe or other artificial defect;
• UNI EN ISO 4628-10: Paints and varnishes - Evaluation of degradation of coatings - Designation of quantity and size of defects, and of intensity of uniform changes in appearance - Part 10: Assessment of degree of filiform corrosion (ISO 4628-10:2016, Corrected version 2016-06-01).

For the automotive sector we perform the main strength tests indicated in the specifications: FIAT 9.55842, IVECO 18-1600 and CNH MAT0103 for the manufactured products varnished such as resistance tests to alkalis, lubricants, hydraulic fluid, petrol, diesel, chemical aggression, to moisture, the tests of resistance to immersion in water.