在盐气氛试验中，试样受到细盐溶液雾的影响，在充分认识到其不足和局限性的情况下使用时，有几个有用的目的。最初被提议作为一种加速实验室腐蚀试验，模拟沿海大气对金属的影响，无论是否有保护涂层，许多人错误地认为该试验是一种通用加速腐蚀试验，如果“成功耐受”，将保证金属或保护涂层在任何腐蚀条件下都是令人满意的。此后的经验表明，即使在所谓的“海洋”大气和海水中，耐盐大气腐蚀性和耐其他介质腐蚀性之间很少有直接关系。然而，通过盐气氛试验，可以了解海洋和暴露海岸位置相同（或密切相关）金属或保护涂层基底金属组合的不同样品的相对使用寿命和行为，提供的相关现场服务测试和实验室盐气氛测试的累积数据表明，这种关系确实存在，比如铝合金。 （此类相关性测试也有必要显示实验室测试产生的加速度（如有）。在比较不同种类金属或涂层金属组合的一般耐腐蚀性或预测其相对使用寿命方面，盐气氛试验通常被认为是不可靠的。盐气氛试验作为评估金属和非金属保护涂层均匀性（特别是厚度和孔隙率）的试验，已得到最广泛的认可，并在这方面取得了不同程度的成功。在这方面，一旦确定了某种标准的性能水平，该测试对于评估同一产品的不同批次非常有用。s。

The salt atmosphere test, in which specimens are subjected to a fine mist of salt solution, has several useful purposes when utilized with full recognition of its deficiencies and limitations. Originally proposed as an accelerated laboratory corrosion test simulating the effects of seacoast atmospheres on metals, with or without protective coatings, this test has been erroneously considered by many as an all-purpose accelerated corrosion test, which if "withstood successfully" will guarantee that metals or protective coatings will prove satisfactory under any corrosive condition. Experience has since shown that there is seldom a direct relationship between resistance to salt atmosphere corrosion and resistance to corrosion in other media, even in so-called "marine" atmospheres and seawater. However, some idea of the relative service life and behavior of different samples of the same (or closely related) metals or of protective coating-base metal combinations in marine and exposed seacoast locations can be gained by means of the salt atmosphere test, provided accumulated data from correlated field service tests and laboratory salt atmosphere tests show that such a relationship does exist, as in the case of aluminum alloys. (Such correlation tests are also necessary to show the degree of acceleration, if any, produced by the laboratory test). The salt atmosphere test is generally considered unreliable for comparing the general corrosion resistance of different kinds of metals or coating-metal combinations, or for predicting their comparative service life. The salt atmosphere test has received its widest acceptance as a test for evaluating the uniformity (specifically, thickness and degree of porosity) of protective coatings, metallic and nonmetallic, and has served this purpose with varying amounts of success. In this connection, the test is useful for evaluating different lots of the same product, once some standard level of performance has been established. The s.