Researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability (LBF) have created a new salt paste for corrosion testing. It can be customized for various test scenarios and delivers comparable results to the traditional salt spray test, which has some disadvantages. Salt spray tests are carried out in controlled environments and simulate the effects of salty air on materials. This requires large amounts of salt solution and the tests lead to complete corrosion of the entire component and test stand.
The new salt paste offers precise adjustment of various parameters for each application, can be adapted to a variety of test scenarios and delivers comparable results to the traditional salt spray test. It is well suited for rapid screening in material selection and development and enables efficient and targeted evaluation of new materials and their corrosion resistance. In addition to classic salt corrosion, acidic or alkaline conditions can also be simulated, for example.
The salt paste consists of proven ingredients such as a superabsorber, wool wax, fatty alcohols and salts. By using established raw materials and natural components such as wool wax, as well as the considerably lower amount of material required, the salt paste reduces the consumption of resources and energy and thus minimizes the environmentally relevant effects of corrosion tests.
Fraunhofer LBF is looking for partners from industry who see areas of application for salt pastes in their company and would like to further develop the possibilities of the newly developed salt paste. Applications are conceivable in corrosion testing of plastics and metals, for example in maritime technology, in desert climates, on PV systems or on coatings on wood in outdoor areas and many more.
