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Salt ions are an invisible threat to surface coatings and they are virtually everywhere and on every surface. There are
many kinds of salts, and the ionic compounds formed may be comprised on chlorides, sulphates, nitrates and other
chemical compositions. The basic nature of salt is hygroscopic, meaning that when salts are exposed on a substrate they
attract moisture that can lead to flash rusting.
All coatings permeable and in immersion surface generally contain 1% to 3% water. The build-up of water between the
substrate and the coating combined with soluble ions may create an electrolytic cell—leading to corrosion. Osmotic
blistering exposes the substrate, accelerating corrosion and leading to possible premature failure and possible structural
failure.
SaltSmart was developed over a 5 year program with funding from the US Navy to find a better solution than those that
existed on the market. The goals were to find a technology where measurement results would be less operator skill
dependent, better accuracy, less chance of contamination, something that would work on all surface geometries including
small parts such as vents or gratings, and technology that would support a paper-less QA environment where all records
could be kept electronically in an electronic archive.
SaltSmart is a patented breakthrough in the measurement of soluble surface salt contamination.
The SaltSmart 2000 Meter is a light, handheld device for accurately measuring soluble salt content that has been flushed
from an accurately measured area on the substrate to be tested. The meter uses conductivity to determine the amount of
soluble salts present in the sample. The results can be displayed and stored in units of μS/cm, ug/cm2 or mg/m². It
requires no special calibration. The meter uses provided validation strips to verify the conductivity relationship. The meter
employs easy-to-use menu-driven processes to guide the user through various tasks.
Features & Benefits
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Supports electronic capture of 250 measurements in the meter for later USB download. File formats compatible
with Microsoft Excel.
One-time-use disposable device eliminates cross contamination, syringes, and measurements of liquids in the
field
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Works on virtually all surface geometries including vertical, horizontal, curved, over-head, magnetic and nonmagnetic
surfaces.
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Faster testing of large surfaces, leaving no residue or contamination after testing
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The contact area of the sensor is approximately 1.5 cm by 2.0 cm and does not require sealing to the substrate.
This allows for testing of curved or irregular surfaces, including very localised testing of objects such as gratings.
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The solvent (de-ionized water) is in pre-measured ampoules and requires no measuring or handling, and since a
fresh on is used per test, virtually eliminates any chance of cross contamination.
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No residue is left on the surface after testing, no clean-up required
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Sensor requires no manual manipulation while developing, allowing multiple sensors to be affixed for testing
enabling faster testing of large areas saving time and labour
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Measurements may be stored in the meter for later USB download. Allows archiving of accurate measurement
data for maintenance or build history, and supports paperless QA systems
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Patented Continuous Flow Extraction Method supports high extraction efficiencies to remove salt samples from
the test substrate
Can be used in accordance with the following Standards
Tested by an independent metallurgical lab to be compliant to :
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NACE SP0508
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IMO PSPC
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ISO 8502-9
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SSPC
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US Navy 009-32 FY12 and many other evolving standards
Disposable Sensor
Everything is premeasured and comes in a sealed contamination free pouch. In the
field, just place the sensor on the substrate, wait the time for the sensor to develop,
and place in the meter for the reading. Readings are available in any one of three user
selectable units.
Faster Test Times
Since no manual manipulation of the sensor is required during test, multiple tests can
be run in parallel saving time and labor.
Accurate Substrate Contamination Measurements
SaltSmart Technology is de-signed to be a system. Since we are in complete control of
all system components, we measure the background contamination of sensors in
manufacturing and programmatically remove this source of error within the meter. The
reading on the meter is a true substrate salt contamination measurements.
User Calibration Validation
Meter kits include a validation strip that can be used to validate proper meter calibration.
The user will need to confirm or validate the proper operation of the meter. There is no established frequency for this
operation, but it is suggested that it be performed when the meter has not been used for an extended period of time or on
a daily basis. This slope verification compares the internal meter settings with a standard resistance strip. By establishing
the “LOW” and the “HIGH” end point values, the slope of the conductivity curve can be verified.
Material Safety Data Material Data
De-ionized water is used for our measurements, which is non-hazardous SaltSmart Device
Disposable SaltSmart® strips are purchased in groups of ten. Each strip is packaged separately and comes with an
appropriate amount of deionized water. Adhesive tape is not provided since many applications require different types of
tape. In a vast majority of cases, however, standard non-residue painter’s tape is recommended.
Instructions and videos for the application of the strips are provided with the SaltSmart strips and are also available with
the links below. There are two key factors that must be observed in order to allow the strip to perform properly and to
ensure that the meter readings are accurate
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The Strip must be positioned in such a manner as to place the Deionized Water (DI) ampoule above the strip,
thereby allowing water to be drawn into the strip through the “sipper tube.” This is usually not a problem on
horizontal surfaces, but on vertical surfaces, the strip-ampoule combination should have a small (~10 degree)
incline, as indicated on every strip, with the ampoule on top. On horizontal applications, this is usually not a
problem as long as the ampoule is adequately secured to the surface. Please see instruction sheet that
accompanies the SaltSmart® strip.
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The SaltSmart® strip must be adequately taped to the surface to be tested. A piece of tape should be placed over
the area noted on the strip and then pressed down the strip sides and onto the surface. The entire surface of the
white fiber pad MUST be in intimate contact with the surface to be tested. On overhead surfaces, it is
recommended that second strip of tape be used to hold the DI ampoule firmly onto the surface. This will prevent
the strip from tilting down and pulling the fiber pad off of the surface.
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