What Does
Penetration Test Mean?
A penetration test examines the corrosion penetration rate on a substance affected by any type of corrosion. Materials can be quantified by their corrosion penetration rate (CPR) and examined in three possible ways:
- Speed at which the material deteriorates
- Amount of material lost per year (i.e., the reduction in the thickness of the material)
- Speed at which corrosion is spreading
Corrosionpedia Explains Penetration Test
To test for corrosion in a particular material, various tests are performed and data is collected to calculate the corrosion penetration rate. The following data is collected:
- The weight lost by the material (i.e., its original weight minus the current weight)
- The density of the material
- The total surface area initially present
- The time taken for the material to corrode
Once collected, this data is used to determine the corrosion penetration rate, which is calculated by the formula:
CPR = (k x W) / (D x A x T)
where k = a constant, W = total weight lost, T = time taken for the loss of metal, A = the surface area of the exposed metal, D = the metal’s density in g/cm³