INTERNATIONAL ISO

STANDARD 9226

Second edition
2012-02-01

Corrosion of metals and alloys —

Corrosivity of atmospheres —
Determination of corrosion rate of
standard specimens for the evaluation of
corrosivity
Corrosion des métaux et alliages — Corrosivité des atmosphères —
Détermination de la vitesse de corrosion d'éprouvettes de référence
pour l'évaluation de la corrosivité

Reference number
ISO 9226:2012(E)

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Contents Page

Foreword ............................................................................................................................................................ iv 

Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................... v 
1  Scope ...................................................................................................................................................... 1 
2  Normative references ............................................................................................................................ 1 
3  Principle ................................................................................................................................................. 1 
4  Standard specimens ............................................................................................................................. 2 
5  Exposure of standard specimens ........................................................................................................ 2 
6  Expression of results ............................................................................................................................ 2 
Annex A (informative) Chemical cleaning procedures for removal of corrosion products ........................ 4 
Bibliography ........................................................................................................................................................ 5 

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Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies
(ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through ISO
technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been
established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations, governmental and
non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely with the
International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.

International Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.

The main task of technical committees is to prepare International Standards. Draft International Standards
adopted by the technical committees are circulated to the member bodies for voting. Publication as an
International Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the member bodies casting a vote.

Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent
rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.

ISO 9226 was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 156, Corrosion of metals and alloys.

This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition (ISO 9226:1992), which has been technically revised.
In particular, the use of helix specimens as standard specimens is no longer prescribed and Annex A has
been updated.

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Introduction
The characterization of an atmospheric corrosion test site or of a service location with respect to its corrosivity
can be accomplished by determining the corrosion rate of standard specimens exposed for one year to the
atmosphere at the respective location (corrosivity determination). The standard specimens are flat plate
specimens of the four standard structural materials: aluminium, copper, steel and zinc. This method
represents an economical way of evaluating corrosivity, taking into account all local environmental influences.

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 INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 9226:2012(E)

Corrosion of metals and alloys — Corrosivity of atmospheres —

Determination of corrosion rate of standard specimens for the
evaluation of corrosivity

WARNING — Some of the procedures included in this International Standard entail the use of
potentially hazardous chemicals. lt is emphasized that all appropriate safety precautions should be
taken.

1 Scope
This International Standard specifies methods which can be used for the determination of corrosion rate with
standard specimens. The values obtained from the measurements (corrosion rates for the first year of
exposure) are intended to be used as classification criteria for the evaluation of atmospheric corrosivity
according to ISO 9223. They can also be used for informative evaluation of atmospheric corrosivity beyond
the scope of ISO 9223.

2 Normative references
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated
references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced
document (including any amendments) applies.

ISO 8407, Corrosion of metals and alloys — Removal of corrosion products from corrosion test specimens

ISO 8565, Metals and alloys — Atmospheric corrosion testing — General requirements

ISO 9223, Corrosion of metals and alloys — Corrosivity of atmospheres — Classification, determination and
estimation

ISO 9224, Corrosion of metals and alloys — Corrosivity of atmospheres — Guiding values for the corrosivity
categories

3 Principle
The corrosivity of the exposure locations or of industrial installation sites is deduced from the corrosion rate,
calculated from the loss of mass per unit area of standard specimens following the removal of corrosion
products from the specimens after exposure periods of one year.

In the case of alloys of iron, zinc and copper, mass loss is a proven measure of corrosion damage. In the case
of aluminium alloys, mass loss is a valid measure of corrosion. This International Standard describes only
evaluation by mass loss and not corrosion penetration.

Corrosion rates for the first year of exposure may be used for the calculation of corrosion rates for long-term
exposures in accordance with ISO 9224.

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4 Standard specimens

The specimens are rectangular plates with dimensions of preferably 100 mm  150 mm, but at least
50 mm  100 mm, and a thickness of approximately 1 mm.

The materials used to prepare the standard specimens are of current fabrication, i.e.

steel: unalloyed carbon steel (Cu 0,03 % to 0,10 %, P  0,07 %)

zinc: 98,5 % min.

copper: 99,5 % min.

aluminium: 99,5 % min.

Prior to exposure, all specimens shall be solvent degreased. The sample shall be free from oil and grease; in
order to achieve this, it may be necessary to use different solvents in successive steps. Steel specimens with
visible rust stains or corrosion products on their surfaces shall be polished with 120 grit abrasive paper prior to
degreasing to remove these visible corrosion products. The cleaning of metal specimens by sand blasting can
result in a surface that is more prone to corrosion and is therefore not recommended for the cleaning of the
standard specimens for corrosivity classification in accordance with ISO 9223. Copper, zinc and aluminium
specimens shall not be used if visible corrosion products are present before exposure.

NOTE For details on the quality of recommended metallic materials, see the Bibliography.

5 Exposure of standard specimens

The exposure of the weighed and marked standard specimens shall be carried out in accordance with the
specifications of ISO 8565.

Three specimens of each metal shall be exposed for one year, starting at the beginning of the worst corrosive
period of the year (e.g. spring or autumn).

After exposure, the corrosion products formed on specimens shall be removed in accordance with the
specifications of ISO 8407 and reweighed to the nearest 0,1 mg. The cleaning procedure shall be repeated
several times in equal cleaning cycles.

NOTE For procedures suitable for chemical cleaning, see Annex A.

6 Expression of results
The corrosion rate, rcorr, for each metal, expressed as a mass loss per unit area over time, is given by
Equation (1):

m
rcorr  (1)
At

where

rcorr is the corrosion rate, expressed in grams per square metre per year [g/(m2 a)];

m is the mass loss, expressed in grams (g);

A is the surface area, expressed in square metres (m2);

t is the exposure time, expressed in years (a).

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The corrosion rate can also be expressed as a thickness reduction rate given by Equation (2):

m
 
rcorr (2)
A  t

where

rcorr is the corrosion rate, expressed in micrometres per year (µm/a);

 is the density of the metal (Fe: 7,86 g/cm3; Zn: 7,14 g/cm3; Cu: 8,96 g/cm3; Al: 2,70 g/cm3);

m is the mass loss, expressed in grams (g);

A is the surface area, expressed in square metres (m2);

t is the exposure time, expressed in years (a).

The test report shall give all single values and their mean values. Any possible anomalies detected before,
during and after exposure, which can have an influence of the mean result, shall be specified.

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Annex A
(informative)

Chemical cleaning procedures for removal of corrosion products

WARNING — When working with dangerous substances (such as chromium trioxide), all necessary
safety precautions shall be taken.

Material Chemical Time Temperature Remarks

Steel 500 ml of hydrochloric acid (HCl,   1,19 g/ml) 10 min 20 °C to 25 °C An increased number of
3,5 g hexamethylene tetramine pickling intervals or longer
Distilled water to make up to 1 000 ml times may be required in
certain circumstances.
Zinc 250 g glycine (NH2CH2COOH) 1 min to 20 °C to 25 °C
Distilled water to make up to 1 000 ml 10 min
(saturated solution)
Copper 50 g of amidosulfonic acid (sulfamic acid) 5 min to 20 °C to 25 °C
Distilled water to make up to 1 000 ml 10 min
Aluminium 50 ml of phosphoric acid (H3PO4,   1,69 g/ml) 5 min to 80 °C If corrosion products
20 g of chromium trioxide (CrO3) 10 min remain, follow the
procedure below.
Distilled water to make up to 1 000 ml
Aluminium Nitric acid (HNO3,   1,42 g/ml) 1 min to 20 °C to 25 °C To avoid reactions that
5 min can result in excessive
removal of basis metal,
remove extraneous
deposits and bulky
corrosion products.

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Bibliography

[1] EN 485-1, Aluminium and aluminium alloys — Sheet, strip and plate — Part 1: Technical conditions for
inspection and delivery

[2] EN 485-2, Aluminium and aluminium alloys — Sheet, strip and plate — Part 2: Mechanical properties

[3] EN 1179, Zinc and zinc alloys — Primary zinc

[4] EN 1652, Copper and copper alloys — Plate, sheet, strip and circles for general purposes

[5] EN 10130, Cold rolled low carbon steel flat products for cold forming — Technical delivery conditions

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