On February 6, 2026, Qingdao Liweiyuan Steel Structure successfully completed a salt spray corrosion test on its new generation of steel structure components designed for marine climate conditions at the company's Materials Testing Center. This test strictly followed international standards, comprehensively verifying the corrosion resistance of the company's independently developed anti-corrosion coating system and the steel structure substrate, providing solid technical support for the subsequent research and application of marine climate steel structure engineering equipment.
The harsh conditions of high salt and high humidity in the marine environment are the main corrosion threats faced by steel structure components. According to industry statistics, maintenance costs due to corrosion of marine engineering steel structures account for 20% to 30% of the total operating costs, and in severe cases, can even lead to structural failure, safety accidents, and other major problems. As a leading domestic manufacturer of marine engineering equipment, Liweiyuan Steel Structure always prioritizes the durability and safety of its products. This salt spray test was a key performance verification step conducted to address the corrosion challenges of the marine environment and optimize the product's anti-corrosion design.
This salt spray test was conducted strictly in accordance with GB/T 10125-2012 "Artificial Atmosphere Corrosion Tests - Salt Spray Tests" and ASTM B117-23 standards, with a test period of up to 1000 hours, fully simulating the salt spray corrosion environment of the marine atmosphere.
Three typical samples were selected for the test: first, steel structural components with the company's latest nano-modified anti-corrosion coating; second, components with traditional epoxy zinc-rich coatings; and third, uncoated steel structural base material samples. During the test, the testing center monitored key parameters such as salt spray concentration, ambient temperature, and humidity in real time to ensure the stability and consistency of test conditions. The salt spray concentration was strictly controlled at 5% ± 0.1% sodium chloride solution spray, the ambient temperature was maintained at 35℃ ± 1℃, and the relative humidity was not lower than 95%, comprehensively replicating the corrosive conditions of the marine atmosphere.
After 1000 hours of continuous salt spray testing, the Liweiyuan Steel Structure Technology Team conducted comprehensive testing and analysis on three groups of samples:
Samples with nano-modified anti-corrosion coatings showed only very slight pitting corrosion, with a corrosion area of less than 0.5%. The coating adhesion remained above 5 MPa, far exceeding the national industry standard requirement of 3 MPa, indicating a more than 40% improvement in corrosion resistance compared to traditional coatings;
Samples with traditional epoxy zinc-rich coatings showed corrosion covering approximately 15% of the surface, with localized coating peeling. Adhesion dropped to 2.8 MPa, close to the lower limit of the standard;
Uncoated steel structure samples showed large-area uniform corrosion with a corrosion depth of 0.12 mm. The corrosion rate far exceeded expectations, fully demonstrating the protective effect of the anti-corrosion coating on the steel structure.
In addition, the test also examined the mechanical properties of the steel structure base material after corrosion. The results showed that the yield strength and tensile strength of the steel structure base material protected by the anti-corrosion coating decreased by only 2% to 3%, far lower than the 18% strength reduction of the uncoated sample. This proves that the anti-corrosion coating system not only effectively prevents the intrusion of corrosive media but also ensures the core mechanical properties of the steel structure.
The successful completion of this salt spray test marks a significant breakthrough for Liweiyuan Steel Structure in the field of steel structure anti-corrosion technology. The modified anti-corrosion coating system developed by the company will be comprehensively applied to the company's subsequent marine climate steel structures, offshore platforms, offshore wind turbine towers, and ship steel structures. It is expected to extend the service life of marine engineering steel structures from the traditional 15-20 years to over 30 years, significantly reducing customers' operation and maintenance costs.
Meanwhile, the large amount of data accumulated from the test will provide important support for the company to establish a marine corrosion database, further optimizing the anti-corrosion design and material selection of products, and enhancing the company's core competitiveness in the field of marine engineering equipment. In the future, Liweiyuan Steel Structure will continue to focus on the durability and safety research of marine engineering equipment, constantly breaking through key technological bottlenecks, and contributing more to the application of steel structure coating materials in marine climates.
Liweiyuan Steel Structure is a leading manufacturer of various steel structure products and metal products in China. We can customize solutions for various metal products, providing customers with high-quality, low-cost steel structure products and metal products. We can provide customers with material and steel structure design solutions that meet US standards, European standards, and other national and regional standards. The company has advanced automated production lines and a comprehensive quality control system. Our products have passed ISO9001, CE, and other international certifications, ensuring that every batch of components meets the technical specifications of the customer's location.
