Corrosion Resistance Testing

Choosing the right corrosion resistant locknut coating means wading through standards, technical data sheets, and a variety of coating types. One way to make that easier is to understand how corrosion effects your locknuts and how you can be sure that the coating will stand up to the environmental pressures surrounding your assembly.

Environmental Corrosion

Many types of corrosion can damage your locknuts if they are not properly protected. From moist to acidic environments, you want a locknut and coating that can withstand the conditions for its intended use. One way that corrosion resistance is tested is with a salt spray chamber, such as those made by Presto® Testing Instruments.

Salt Spray Testing

Many assemblies will be exposed to salt during their regular life cycles. For instance, cars are regularly exposed to salt during winter deicing of roads. Assemblies intended to be used in or near the ocean also would experience severe salt corrosion.

Over time, this exposure causing corrosion, leaving tell-tale red rust in its path. A salt spray chamber can simulate this kind of environmental exposure to salt, giving a general idea of how long a piece can be exposed before succumbing to red rust.

Making the Choice

Once you understand the way locknut coatings are classified, you have to choose the right “hours until red rust” rating for you. There are different formulas that can help you explore how long a piece would need to resist rust to be useful in your assembly. The basic idea is to calculate how many hours a day your piece will be in operation and multiply that by how many years your assembly should last.

For additional help with this, contact an Aztech representative to learn more about the specific hours until red rust you would need. If your piece will be experiencing additional corrosive factors, like acids, etc. we would be glad to help you determine if you need additional testing to find the right coating.

Learn More

Recently we created a buying guide with additional information about locknut coatings and the decision-making process. This FREE guide gives you a good overview of basic coating principles to help your search. Check it out today!