To assess the corrosion resistance of components made of stainless steel powder, Standard B 895, Test Methods for Evaluating the Corrosion Resistance of Powder Metallurgy (P/M) Stainless Steel Parts/Specimens by Immersion in a Sodium Chloride Solution is now available. It was developed by a task group of metallurgists in American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Subcommittee B09.05 on Structural Parts within Committee B09 on Metal Powders and Metal Powder Products.

"This is a completely new standard," said Task Group Chairman Ben Thompson, a metallurgist and manager of technical information with OMG Americas, N.C. "Stainless steel powder is becoming an extremely popular material today for use in automotive applications. Stainless is used because of its excellent corrosion resistance. However, there's always been a concern about how good the corrosion resistance is on powder metal parts because it can vary widely depending upon the procedures used to make the parts. It was felt that standards should then be developed to give the parts producers a quality check on the corrosion resistance of the parts they are producing."

ASTM Standard B 895 offers two methods for evaluating the ability of sintered P/M stainless steel components to resist corrosion when immersed in a sodium chloride solution. In Method 1, the stainless steel parts/specimens are examined periodically and the time to the first appearance of staining or rust is used to indicate the end point. In Method 2, continued exposure to the sodium chloride solution is used to monitor the extent of corrosion as a function of time.

The standard may be used as part of a purchase agreement between P/M sellers and purchasers, and applies to powdered stainless steel parts produced globally.

ASTM standards are available by calling Customer Service (610/832-9585) or through the Web site Store (www.astm.org).

For further technical information, contact Ben Thompson, OMG Americas, 2601 Weck Drive, P.O. Box 12166, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2166 (919/544-8090, x. 0213; fax: 919/544-7996). Committee B09 meets during ASTM Committee Week, Apr. 30-May 3, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. For meeting or membership information, contact B-9 Staff Manager Pat Picariello, ASTM (610/832-9720; e-mail: ppicarie@astm.org.