#WillItCorrode: Tools of the Trade: Add Testing to Your Product Durability Toolkit
By Deanna Seale, PE
Published Friday, July 29, 2022
For every job, there is a tool. When it comes to product durability, lab testing is one of the best and most reliable tools you can have.
Speaking of tools, we’re keeping our #WillItCorrode monthly test streak alive – this time we put a screwdriver to the test in our salt spray chamber. Check out the results in the image below…
#WillItCorrode: . After 1 month of exposure to salt fog, this screwdriver experienced surface corrosion.
There are several environmental factors that impact the corrosion of materials such metals, wood, pavements, fabrics, roofs, and building systems. To properly gage your product’s potential corrosive exposure and how it will fare within its environment, you need to take into account the climate, solar exposure, and industrial impacts where it may be used. The International Standards Organization (ISO) Corrosivity Map from the Whole Building Design Guide clearly shows how coastal areas represent a higher corrosion threat due to the presence and combination of chlorides, moisture, and heat.
Source: International Standards Organization (ISO)
In addition to external environmental factors, certain building interiors can be more prone to corrosion than others. This would include high-humidity interior areas – bathrooms, laundry rooms, gyms; interior areas that are open to the exterior; and spaces that are not conditioned by design or may not be conditioned during prolonged periods.
Corrosion testing is an important tool to determine the suitability of building materials and components for their intended environment. Home Innovation offers a full range of corrosion testing in our environmental chambers by simulating an environment based on client specific service conditions. We can also perform standard corrosion tests as defined by ASTM International. Home Innovation’s experts provide corrosion testing results that help product designers and manufacturers develop new products, improve existing ones, or respond to regulatory requirements.
Home Innovation Research Labs can help discover how your product holds up to corrosive forces. Get in touch today to schedule your product’s time in our salt spray chamber.