In the industrial coating world, talking about “hours in a salt spray chamber” means talking about resistance, durability, and quality. But what exactly is a salt spray chamber, and why is it so important in evaluating the quality of a powder coating or surface treatment process?
🔬 What Is a Salt Spray Chamber?
A salt spray chamber (also known as a salt fog chamber or corrosion test chamber) is a laboratory device that simulates extreme corrosion conditions by continuously spraying a fine mist of sodium chloride (NaCl) solution at a controlled temperature, typically between 35°C and 50°C.
The purpose is to recreate in a few days what the environment would do in months or years to a metal part, allowing manufacturers to evaluate the coating’s resistance to rust, peeling, or loss of adhesion.
⚙️ Why Is It Used in Quality Control?
The salt spray chamber is an essential tool in powder coating, galvanizing, anodizing, and chemical pretreatment laboratories because it:
- Allows for accurate comparison of different coating or pretreatment systems under identical conditions.
- Ensures compliance with international standards such as ASTM B117 and ISO 9227.
- Helps detect early failures in cleaning, phosphating, paint application, or curing processes.
In short, the more hours a coated part withstands inside a salt spray chamber, the higher its quality and corrosion resistance.
🧪 How to Reach Over 1000 Hours Without SERVEC 1
Traditionally, achieving over 1000 hours of corrosion resistance requires a multi-step surface preparation process, including:
- Alkaline degreasing to remove oils and contaminants.
- Multiple rinsing stages with deionized water.
- Phosphating with phosphoric acid or zirconium.
- Application of a sealant or passivator.
- Drying and powder coating application.
Each stage demands strict control of temperature, pH, conductivity, and chemical concentration, as well as constant maintenance. This also means higher water and energy consumption, and the generation of chemical waste and sludge, which require special handling.
🌿 With SERVEC 1: Over 1500 Hours Using Just One Product
SERVEC 1 completely transforms this process by combining degreasing, phosphating, and passivation in a single step.
Its biodegradable formula forms a uniform iron phosphate layer that enhances paint adhesion and protects the metal against corrosion even under extreme conditions.
🔹 Proven performance of over 1500 hours in salt spray testing on stainless steel, galvanized steel, and carbon steel.
🔹 Operates at room temperature, reducing energy costs.
🔹 Produces no sludge and requires no special confinement.
🔹 Compatible with powder coating, liquid paint, and hybrid systems.
Thanks to SERVEC 1, many companies have simplified their pretreatment lines, lowering operating costs while improving the final coating quality.
💡 Conclusion
The salt spray chamber not only measures coating resistance — it reveals the true quality of the entire surface preparation process.
While traditional methods require multiple products and steps to reach 1000 hours of corrosion protection, SERVEC 1 by Neez Tecnología achieves over 1500 hours with a single product, delivering superior, eco-friendly, and cost-effective protection.