ASTM D849 Test Method for Copper Strip Corrosion by Industrial Aromatic Hydrocarbons
10. Procedure
10.1 Fasten the 150-mm length of soft copper wire through the hole provided near one end of the strip, taking care not to touch the strip with the fingers after polishing.
10.2 Place the strip in the flask and add 200 mL of the sample. The specimen must not contain separated water. Filter through a dry filter paper, if necessary, to remove water.
10.3 Connect the flask to the vertical reflux condenser by means of a properly bored cork or glass stopper. It is absolutely necessary that a cork or glass, not rubber, stopper be used, in order to avoid contamination of the specimen by sulfur from rubber stoppers. The copper wire may be allowed to extend into the condenser tube for convenience in removing the strip. Completely immerse the strip.
10.4 Place the flask in the gently boiling water bath, and immerse the flask to the liquid line of the specimen within the flask.
10.5 Remove the copper strip 30 min from the time the flask was immersed in the bath. Do not touch the copper strip, but remove it by the wire that has been provided. Do not allow the strip to come in contact with separated water during any part of the test, since water causes bad local staining of the copper. If it is desired to preserve the strip for future reference, dip it immediately into white shellac or lacquer.
11. Interpretation of Results
11.1 Compare the exposed strip with the ASTM Copper Strip Corrosion Standards described in 7.5 and as summarized in Table 1. Hold the test strip and the Standard in such a manner that light reflected from them at an angle of approximately 45° will be observed.
11.1.1 When a strip is in the obvious transition state between that indicated by any two adjacent standard strips, rate the sample at the more tarnished classification. Should a strip appear to have a darker orange color than Standard Strip 1b, consider the observed strip as still belonging in Classification 1; however, if any evidence of red color is observed, the observed strip belongs in Classification 2.
