Air receivers are often deployed in outdoor, coastal, humid, dusty or salt-laden working environments. Carbon steel tanks rely on protective layers formed by shot blasting, powder coating or galvanizing treatment. The salt spray test serves as a core accelerated inspection method that simulates salt-containing corrosive environments to verify the compliance of the tank’s anti-corrosion processes, and it can intuitively validate the long-term protective performance of shot blasting treatment, powder materials and surface coatings.
The functions of Salt Spray testing on air tanks
l Simulate coastal, outdoor, damp working conditions to predict air tank service life, avoid rust, blister and coating peeling during field operation.
l Check full surface treatment quality: defective shot blasting, thin coating and poor adhesion will generate red rust during test.
l Classify anti-corrosion grades to match indoor, outdoor and marine working environments, distinguish smooth & orange peel coating corrosion resistance.
l Mandatory inspection item for export air receivers with CE, ASME certification, supporting third-party acceptance.
l Locate weak corrosion points such as welding seams, support legs and tank edges to optimize coating process.
Salt Spray Test Steps
l Sample preparation: Complete mini air receiver or same-process test panel (with weld & support simulation), mask threads and sealing surfaces.
l Chamber setup: Adjust temperature to 35℃, salt sedimentation rate 1~2ml/80cm²·h, place samples at 15°~30° tilt.
l Continuous fog spraying for agreed hours, daily brief visual inspection.
l Post-test cleaning & evaluation: Rinse salt residue, air dry; qualified standard: no blistering, peeling or base metal red rust.
Standard Salt Spray Passing Hours for Different Types of Air Receivers
l Indoor carbon steel air receivers: No red rust after minimum 500 hours of NSS neutral salt spray test
l Outdoor / seaside carbon steel air receivers (weather-resistant polyester powder coating): No corrosion after 720~1000 hours of NSS neutral salt spray test
l 304 stainless steel air receivers (uncoated): No pitting corrosion after minimum 1000 hours of NSS neutral salt spray test
l 316 stainless steel air receivers: No rust after 42 cycles of cyclic salt spray test
Salt spray test results directly determine the outdoor service life of air receivers. All YCZX air receivers undergo fully automatic shot blasting up to Sa2.5 grade, with separate powder coatings formulated for indoor and outdoor use. We can customize targeted anti-corrosion solutions according to your working environments including factory workshops, coastal areas and chemical plants, and provide complete official test reports. If you need customized air receivers, kindly contact our sales and share your service conditions, and we will match the optimal anti-corrosion production process combining shot blasting and powder coating for you.
