Standard · Systems, environments and degradation
ASTM B117
Operating a salt spray (fog) cabinet.
ASTM B117 describes how to run a cabinet that exposes test panels to a continuous neutral salt fog at a constant temperature. It is a laboratory test, used to compare similar coatings or for quality control.
What it sets, and what it does not
B117 sets the apparatus and the operating conditions of the cabinet. It does not choose the test panels, the exposure period or how the results are judged. Those come from the specification or the product standard that calls for the test.
Common mistake
Turning hours in the cabinet into years of service. Used alone, salt spray results seldom match natural exposure, and no factor converts one into the other. ASTM D5894 alternates salt fog and dry periods with UV and condensation; it too gives no acceleration factor.
Cyclic tests such as those of ISO 12944-6 and -9 alternate wet, dry and other stages to come closer to real exposure. For offshore systems, ISO 12944-9 replaced ISO 20340.
2 practice items in the members area mention ASTM B117 (CIP 2: 2).
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This page describes the subject of ASTM B117 in our own words; it does not reproduce the standard. For the full text, buy the current edition from ASTM International. Checked on 2026-10-14; errors go in the corrections log. CoatMentor is an independent study aid. It is not affiliated with ISO, AMPP, SSPC, NACE International, ASTM or FROSIO.