NACE International Unit Committee T-5A on Corrosion in Chemical Processes issues this standard with a dual purpose.

The first purpose is to standardize, as much as possible, simple immersion corrosion studies. In this sense, this standard is reasonable and effective without imposing inflexible requirements as to apparatus, conditions, or techniques. The actual conditions of test will be determined by the problem at hand and limited only by the ingenuity of the individual investigator.

The second purpose of this standard is to present to the user a consensus on the best technology in this field of laboratory corrosion testing. As such, this standard numerates and discusses the many factors which must be considered, controlled, and reported in order to aid in correlation or reproducibility of such studies.

The techniques described permit the investigator to reproduce to a considerable extent in the laboratory, through judicious experimental design, the process conditions which govern corrosion mechanisms. The tests are not to be construed as "accelerated" tests, which are generally unreliable. The methods described are also applicable to materials qualification tests for quality control. However, the latter require more rigid definition of apparatus, conditions, and technique.

The ultimate purpose is better correlation of results in the future and the reduction of conflicting reports through a more detailed recording of meaningful factors and conditions.

1.1 This standard describes the factors which influence laboratory tests. These factors include specimen preparation, apparatus, test conditions (solution composition, temperature, velocity, aeration, volume, method of supporting specimens, duration of test), methods of cleaning specimens, evaluation of results, and calculation of corrosion rates. This standard also emphasizes the importance of recording all pertinent data and provides a check list for reporting test data.

1.2 Experience has shown that all metals and alloys do not respond alike to the many factors that control corrosion and that "accelerated" corrosion tests give indicative results only. Consequently, it is impractical to propose an inflexible standard laboratory corrosion testing procedure for general use except for material qualification tests, where standardization is obviously required.

1.3 In designing any corrosion test, consideration must be given to the various factors discussed in this test method because these factors have been found to affect greatly the results obtained.

Historical Document 1976