Salt spray testing – why it should not be used to compare different types of coatings

For users of protective coatings in the construction, manufacturing or engineering industry, there is one aspect of corrosion science that requires careful understanding – that is the role and limitations of accelerated corrosion testing. For decades, the so-called ‘salt spray test’ has generated misleading information about coating performance and its results still feature prominently in the marketing materials of products that, artificially, yield more favourable outcomes than in the real world.