Elcometer 134 test kit for soluble salts

Citation

(2000), "Elcometer 134 test kit for soluble salts", Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials, Vol. 47 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/acmm.2000.12847aad.009

Elcometer 134 test kit for soluble salts

Keywords Elcometer Insruments, Testing, Steel, Marine corrosion, Moisture, Corrosion prevention

Elcometer Instruments Ltd, the Manchester based specialist in instruments for testing coating processes, has released a test kit for the detection and measurement of soluble salts on steel surfaces. Known as the Elcometer 134 CHLOR*TEST^(TM) Salt Detection Kit and aimed particularly at marine painting applications, this kit (Plate 1) claims a quick and simple method for the assessment of surfaces for chlorides prior to coating.

Plate 1 Elcometer 134 test kit for soluble salts

The presence of chloride ions as contamination on the surface of a steel structure has the potential to cause premature coating failure due to corrosion at the surface of the steel. Cleaning the steel surface will only be effective if, in addition to removing rust, these soluble salts are also removed. A simple field test to determine the level of such salts, accurately, will help to ensure a coating that will achieve its full operating life.

The Elcometer 134 is said to be simple and convenient to use with its four-step process:

1. 1.

   Pour CHLOR*EXTRACT^(TM) solution in'to the latex tube.

2. 2.

   Peel the protective backing off the flange of the tube, pinch tube to retain the CHLOR*EXTRACT^(TM) and stick the flange to the surface to be tested.

3. 3.

   Work the solution against the surface to extract the salts and peel the flange off.

4. 4.

   Insert the glass titration tube into the solution in the tube and read the result.

This process takes about five minutes and a simple colour change in the tube registers the level of chloride ions in both parts per million (ppm) or micrograms per centimetre squared (µg/cm²).

According to the manufacturers the test has been shown to be very accurate as the CHLOR*EXTRACT^(TM) will remove at least 90 per cent of the chloride ions present on the surface. This extraction efficiency is measured by comparison with the salts removed by boiling water.

Kits are supplied with sufficient materials to complete five tests and the carton serves as both storage and convenient stand for the tube during the titration tube test.

Also newly introduced by Elcometer is a surface moisture meter for timber, plaster and concrete substrates.

Excess moisture is one of the most common causes of premature coating failure and the Elcometer 118 surface moisture meter (Plate 2) can help eliminate moisture by identifying its presence before coatings are applied.

Plate 2 The Elcometer 118 moisture meter

The Elcometer 118 is a simple, light-weight, battery-powered meter with five scales to indicate the percentage moisture content for two groups of wood surfaces, plaster and concrete with a linear scale for comparison readings without reference to the percentage moisture content. The scales are colour coded for ease of interpretation.

The gauge has a resolution of 1 per cent and an accuracy of ±2 per cent of reading referenced to electrical resistance standards. The probe has two pins that penetrate the surface of the material and the conductivity of the material between the pins is a measure of the moisture content. The pins can be easily changed by the user and 50 spare pins are supplied with the meter, so the probe can be kept in optimum condition at all times.

Details available from: Elcometer Instruments Ltd. Tel: + 44 (0) 161 371 6000; Fax: + 44 (0)1613716010; e-mail. sales@eicometercom; Website: http://www.elcometer.com