B08.10 - Test Methods

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 The thickness of a metal coating is often critical to its performance.  
4.2 This procedure is useful for an approximate determination when the best possible accuracy is not required. For more reliable determinations, the following methods are available: Test Methods B487, B499, B504, and B568.  
4.3 This test assumes that the rate of dissolution of the coating by the corrosive reagent under the specified conditions is always the same.
SCOPE
1.1 This guide covers the use of the dropping test to measure the thickness of electrodeposited zinc, cadmium, copper, and tin coatings.  
Note 1: Under most circumstances this method of measuring coating thicknesses is not as reliable or as convenient to use as an appropriate coating thickness gauge (see Test Methods B499, B504, and B568).  
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.3 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 Porosity tests indicate the completeness of protection or coverage offered by the coating. When a given coating is known to be protective when properly deposited, the porosity serves as a measure of the control of the process. The effects of substrate finish and preparation, plating bath, coating process, and handling, may all affect the degree of imperfection that is measured.
Note 1: The substrate exposed by the pores may be the basis metal, an underplate, or both.  
4.2 The tests in this guide involve corrosion reactions in which the products delineate pores in coatings. Since the chemistry and properties of these products may not resemble those found in service environments, these tests are not recommended for prediction of product performance unless correlation is first established with service experience.
SCOPE
1.1 This guide describes some of the available standard methods for the detection, identification, and measurement of porosity and gross defects in electrodeposited and related metallic coatings and provides some laboratory-type evaluations and acceptances. Some applications of the test methods are tabulated in Table 1 and Table 2.    
1.2 This guide does not apply to coatings that are produced by thermal spraying, ion bombardment, sputtering, and other similar techniques where the coatings are applied in the form of discrete particles impacting on the substrate.  
1.3 This guide does not apply to beneficial or controlled porosity, such as that present in microdiscontinuous chromium coatings.  
1.4 Porosity test results (including those for gross defects) occur as chemical reaction end products. Some occur in situ, others on paper, or in a gel coating. Observations are made that are consistent with the test method, the items being tested, and the requirements of the purchaser. These may be visual inspection (unaided eye) or by 10× magnification (microscope). Other methods may involve enlarged photographs or photomicrographs.  
1.5 The test methods are only summarized. The individual standards must be referred to for the instructions on how to perform the tests.  
1.6 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.  
1.7 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.8 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
2.1 These tests are useful for production control and for acceptance testing of products.  
2.2 Interpreting the results of qualitative methods for determining the adhesion of metallic coatings is often a controversial subject. If more than one test is used, failure to pass any one test is considered unsatisfactory. In many instances, the end use of the coated article or its method of fabrication will suggest the technique that best represents functional requirements. For example, an article that is to be subsequently formed would suggest a draw or a bend test; an article that is to be soldered or otherwise exposed to heat would suggest a heat-quench test. If a part requires baking or heat treating after plating, adhesion tests should be carried out after such posttreatment as well.  
2.3 Several of the tests are limited to specific types of coatings, thickness ranges, ductility, or compositions of the substrate. These limitations are noted generally in the test descriptions and are summarized in Table 1 for certain metallic coatings. (A) + Appropriate; − not appropriate.    
2.4 “Perfect” adhesion exists if the bonding between the coating and the substrate is greater than the cohesive strength of either. Such adhesion is usually obtained if good electroplating practices are followed.  
2.5 For many purposes, the adhesion test has the objective of detecting any adhesion less than “perfect.” For such a test, one uses any means available to attempt to separate the coating from the substrate. This may be prying, hammering, bending, beating, heating, sawing, grinding, pulling, scribing, chiseling, or a combination of such treatments. If the coating peels, flakes, or lifts from the substrate, the adhesion is less than perfect.  
2.6 If evaluation of adhesion is required, it may be desirable to use one or more of the following tests. These tests have varying degrees of severity; and one might serve to distinguish between satisfactory and unsatisfactory adhesion in a ...
SCOPE
1.1 This practice covers simple, qualitative tests for evaluating the adhesion of metallic coatings on various substances.  
1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 The thickness of a decorative chromium coating is often critical to its performance.  
4.2 This procedure is useful for an approximate determination when the best possible accuracy is not required. For more reliable determinations, the following methods are available: Methods B504, B568, and B588.  
4.3 This test assumes that the rate of dissolution of the chromium by the hydrochloric acid under the specified conditions is always the same.
SCOPE
1.1 This guide covers the use of the spot test for the measurement of thicknesses of electrodeposited chromium coatings over nickel and stainless steel with an accuracy of about ±20 % (Section 9). It is applicable to thicknesses up to 1.2 μm.2
Note 1: Although this test can be used for coating thicknesses up to 1.2 μm, there is evidence that the results obtained by this method are high at thicknesses greater than 0.5 μm.3 In addition, for coating thicknesses above 0.5 μm, it is advisable to use a double drop of acid to prevent depletion of the test solution before completion of the test.  
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.3 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 In order that a sound solder joint be formed simply and quickly in a production operation, the molten solder must readily wet and spread over the surfaces of the products being joined. For this to happen, the surfaces must be clean or be soiled only with contaminants that are easily removed by an appropriate flux. It often is necessary that the flux be only strong enough to remove the normally occurring soils. A more aggressive flux may corrode the product and have other harmful effects. Nonactivated rosin in alcohol is the standard flux used in this test method; however, provision is made for the use of other fluxes. Since rosin is a mild flux, it provides better discrimination between acceptable and unacceptable solderability in marginal cases than do more active fluxes.  
4.2 Metallic coatings are frequently used to provide solderable surfaces. But, an improperly produced coating may not yield the required solderability. There are many coating defects that cause poor solderability including porosity, codeposited impurities, incorrect thickness, and surface contamination. It may be difficult or impractical to test a coating directly for each of the undesirable conditions. In these instances solderability is tested. Products that pass the solderability test can be expected to solder satisfactorily in production. In the case of failure to pass the test, the test results will not reveal the cause of the inadequate solderability, though, with experience, an operator may be able to identify the cause.  
4.3 This test method measures the ability of a coated product to be soldered with Sn60Pb40 or Sn63Pb37 solder using a nonactivated rosin flux. This solder and this flux, or an activated form of it, are generally used in the assembly of electronic products.  
4.4 It is intended that the tested specimens be components of electronic products or articles with the same general shape and mass. Articles that are much more massive than this will heat up too slowly during...
SCOPE
1.1 This test method provides a procedure for evaluating the solderability of metallic-coated products and test specimens to assure satisfactory performance in manufacturing processes requiring soldering with soft (tin-lead) solder and rosin flux. This test method is applicable only for testing coatings that are normally readily solderable such as: tin, tin-lead alloy, silver, and gold.  
1.2 This test method is qualitative and broadly applicable. It is easy to perform and requires only simple equipment. There are other solderability tests not covered by this test method that are more applicable to specific situations, yield quantitative results, or both. Several are described in the literature.2 This is a “go-no-go” test and does not grade solderability as excellent, good, fair, and so forth.  
1.3 This standard may involve hazardous materials, operations, and equipment. This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 Nickel/chromium and copper/nickel/chromium electrodeposited coatings are widely used for decorative and protective applications. The Corrodkote test provides a method of controlling the quality of electroplated articles and is suitable for manufacturing control, as well as research and development.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the Corrodkote2 method of evaluating the corrosion performance of copper/nickel/chromium and nickel/chromium coatings electrodeposited on steel, zinc alloys, aluminum alloys, plastics and other substrates.  
Note 1: The following ASTM standards are not requirements. They are reference for information only: Practice B537, Specification B456, Test Method B602, and Specification B604.  
1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 The routine measurement of the ductility of electrodeposited and autocatalytically deposited metal coatings can be useful in process control, especially when the electroplating process is used for decorative and engineering purposes.
SCOPE
1.1 This practice covers a test procedure for determining the ductility of electrodeposited and autocatalytically deposited coatings on sheet or strip basis metals. The purpose of the test is to determine the resistance of metal coatings to cracking during distortion.2  
1.2 Test Methods E8 can be used if the coatings are too ductile and require mandrels too small to be practical.  
1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.5 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 Measurement of the thickness of a coating is essential to assessing its utility and cost.  
4.2 The coulometric method destroys the coating over a very small (about 0.1 cm2) test area. Therefore its use is limited to applications where a bare spot at the test area is acceptable or the test piece may be destroyed.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the determination of the thickness of metallic coatings by the coulometric method, also known as the anodic solution or electrochemical stripping method.  
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.3 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 Internal stress in applied coatings exhibits potential to cause a breakdown of resistance to corrosion and erosion as a result of the formation of fractures from micro-cracking and macro-cracking within the applied coating. This phenomenon can also cause blistering, peeling, reduction of fatigue strength, and loss. The resulting stress can be tensile in nature, causing the deposit to contract, or compressive in nature, causing the deposit to expand.  
5.2 To maintain quality assurance by the bent strip method, it is necessary to monitor production processes for acceptable levels of internal deposit stress in applied coatings. Most low values are false. Initial values tend to be lower than the actual value because of the effect of stock material edge burrs and the resistance of the stock material to bending. Excessive deposit thickness causes lower-than-true value since the coating overpowers and changes the initial modulus of elasticity of the test piece, which becomes more difficult to bend as the coating continues to build upon it. This phenomenon can be corrected considerably by use of a formula that compensates for modulus of elasticity differences between the deposit and the substrate materials, but it does remain a factor. See Eq 3.
Note 1: The highest value of the internal deposit stress as obtained on a stress-versus-plating-thickness curve is usually the truest value of the internal deposit stress.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method for determining the internal tensile or compressive stress in applied coatings is quantitative. It is applicable to metallic layers that are applied by the processes of electroplating or chemical deposition that exhibit internal tensile or compressive stress values from 200 psi to 145 000 psi (1.38 MPa to 1000 MPa).  
1.2 Units—The values stated in either SI units or inch-pound units are to be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system are not necessarily exact equivalents; therefore, to ensure conformance with the standard, each system shall be used independently of the other. Conversion between unit systems may result in errors that can cause confusion and should be avoided.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 Hard anodic oxidation coatings are often used to obtain improved resistance to abrasion, and have been used in such applications as valves, sliding parts, hinge mechanisms, cams, gears, swivel joints, pistons, insulation plates, blast shields, etc.  
5.2 This abrasion resistance test method may be useful for acceptance testing of a hard anodic coating, and it can be used to evaluate the effects of processing variables such as substrate preparation before coating, surface texture, coating technique variables, and post coating treatments.  
5.3 Results may be used for process control, comparative ranking, or to correlate with end-use performance. The resistance of material surfaces to abrasion, as measured on a testing machine in the laboratory, is generally only one of several factors contributing to wear performance as experienced in the actual use of the material. Other factors may need to be considered in any calculation of predicted life from specific abrasion data.  
5.4 The properties and characteristics of hard anodic oxidation coatings are significantly affected by both the alloy and the method of production.
Note 2: Hard anodizing will usually result in a dimensional increase on each surface equal to about 50 % of the coating thickness. Normal thickness for wear applications tends to be 40 µm to 60 µm; however the thickness of anodized coatings often ranges between 8 µm to 150 µm.  
5.5 The resistance of hard anodic coatings to abrasion may be affected by factors including test conditions, type of abradant, pressure between the specimen and abradant, composition of the alloy, thickness of the coating, and the conditions of anodizing or sealing, or both.
Note 3: The resistance to abrasion is generally measured on unsealed anodic oxidation coatings. While corrosion resistance is often increased by sealing the coating, it has been observed that sealing or dyeing can reduce the resistance to abrasion by over 50 %.  
5.6 The outer surface of the anod...
SCOPE
1.1 This test method quantifies the abrasion resistance of electrolytically formed hard anodic oxidation coatings on a plane, rigid surface of aluminum or aluminum alloy.  
1.2 This test uses a Taber-type abraser,2 which generates a combination of rolling and rubbing to cause wear to the coating surface. Wear is quantified as cumulative mass loss or loss in mass per thousand cycles of abrasion.  
1.3 Units—The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.
Note 1: The procedure described in Method A is similar to MIL-PRF-8625 (paragraph 4.5.5) and SAE AMS 2469 (paragraph 3.3.4). The procedure described in Method B includes a break-in period of 1000 cycles and is similar to ISO 10074 Annex B. When no procedure is specified, Method A shall be the default procedure. Although the procedures described in this method may be similar, they are not equivalent to Specification B893 or Test Method D4060.  
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.5 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 Sampling inspection permits the estimation of the overall quality of a group of product articles through the inspection of a relatively small number of product articles drawn from the group.  
5.2 The specification of a sampling plan provides purchasers and sellers a means of identifying the minimum quality level that is considered to be satisfactory.  
5.3 Because sampling plans yield estimates of the quality of a product, the results of the inspection are subject to error. Through the selection of a sampling plan, the potential error is known and controlled.  
5.4 Sampling inspection is used when a decision must be made about what to do with a quantity of articles. This quantity may be a shipment from a supplier, articles that are ready for a subsequent manufacturing operation, or articles ready for shipment to a customer.  
5.5 In sampling inspection, a relatively small number of articles (the sample) is selected randomly from a larger number of articles (the inspection lot); the sample is inspected for conformance to the requirements placed on the articles. Based on the results, a decision is made whether or not the lot conforms to the requirements.  
5.6 Since only a portion of a production lot is inspected, the quality of the uninspected articles is not known. The possibility exists that some of the uninspected articles are nonconforming. Therefore, basic to any sampling inspection plan is the willingness of the buyer to accept lots that contain some nonconforming articles. The number of nonconforming articles in accepted lots is controlled by the size of the sample and the criteria of acceptance that are placed on the sample.  
5.7 Acceptance sampling plans are used for the following reasons:  
5.7.1 When the cost of inspection is high and the consequences of accepting a nonconforming article are not serious.  
5.7.2 When 100 % inspection is fatiguing and boring and, therefore, likely to result in errors.  
5.7.3 When inspection requires a destru...
SCOPE
1.1 This guide provides sampling plans that are intended for use in the inspection of metallic and inorganic coatings on products for the purpose of deciding whether submitted lots of coated products comply with the specifications applicable to the coating.  
1.2 The sampling plans are variables plans. In plans of this type, several articles of product are drawn from a production lot. A characteristic of the coating on the drawn articles is measured. The values obtained are used to estimate the number of articles in the lot that do not conform to a numerical limit, for example a minimum thickness. The number is compared to a maximum allowable.  
1.3 Variables plans can only be used when the characteristic of interest is measurable, the test method gives a numerical measure of the characteristic, and the specification places a numerical limit on the measured value. It is also necessary that the variation of the characteristic from article to article in a production lot be normally distributed (see Appendix X2). Each article must be tested in the same way (for example, coating thickness must be measured at the same location, see X2.7) so that the values from article to article are comparable. If one or more of these conditions are not met, a variables plan cannot be used. Instead, an attributes plan must be used. These are given in Guide B602 and Guide B697.  
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.5 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade ...

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
3.1 This test replicates in the laboratory the corrosive actions of a film containing hygroscopic chlorides and solid material (mud) on electroplated chromium. The test’s reactive media, the test slurry, was developed to simulate the film found on electroplated chromium deposits during a winter in Russia, thus the common name for the test, Russian Mud Test.  
3.2 This test is used for specification acceptance, simulated service evaluation, manufacturing control, and research and development. It was developed specifically for use on components with electrodeposited chromium coatings exposed to hygroscopic chlorides. Test and production specimens may be used. Use of a standardized test could help in developing improved quality of chromium electrodeposited components and lead to the development of improved electroplated chromium systems.  
3.3 This test simulates the amount of electrodeposited decorative and functional chromium deposit lost when exposed to the combination of “mud/solid material” and hygroscopic chlorides, most commonly calcium chloride. The metric is the loss of only the chromium and adjacent nickel layer. Other tests used with nickel/chromium electroplated components, such as CASS (Test Method B368), simulate the resistance of the part to basis metal corrosion involving all of the component’s deposits and substrate.
SCOPE
1.1 This standard details a laboratory method to accelerate the effects of exposure to hygroscopic corrosive chloride compounds on electroplated chromium components. It is applicable to any substrate and coating system that utilizes electroplated chromium as the final metallic coating.  
1.2 Field experience has shown that hygroscopic chlorides are significantly more aggressive than sodium chloride toward chromium electroplated deposits. The most common of which is calcium chloride.  
1.3 The standard does not specify exposure periods to be used for a specific product nor the interpretation to be given to the results. The suitability of this test and correlation of results with service experience should be determined before it is specified for coating systems.  
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.6 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 This test method is useful for the direct measurement of the thicknesses of metallic coatings and of individual layers of composite coatings, particularly for layers thinner than normally measured with the light microscope.  
4.2 This test method is suitable for acceptance testing.  
4.3 This test method is for the measurement of the thickness of the coating over a very small area and not of the average or minimum thickness per se.  
4.4 Accurate measurements by this test method generally require very careful sample preparation, especially at the greater magnifications.  
4.5 The coating thickness is an important factor in the performance of a coating in service.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the measurement of metallic coating thicknesses by examination of a cross section with a scanning electron microsope (SEM).  
1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 Sampling inspection permits the estimation of the overall quality of a group of product articles through the inspection of a relatively small number of product items drawn from the group.  
4.2 The selection of a sampling plan provides purchasers and sellers a means of identifying the minimum quality levels that are considered to be satisfactory.  
4.3 Because sampling plans will only yield estimates of the quality of a product, the results of the inspection are subject to error. Through the use of sampling plans, the risk of error is known and controlled.
SCOPE
1.1 This guide gives sampling plans that are intended for use in the inspection of metallic and inorganic coatings for conformance to ASTM standard specifications.  
1.2 The plans in this guide, except as noted, have been selected from some of the single sampling plans of MIL-STD-105D. The specific plans selected are identified in Tables 1-3 of this guide. The plan of Table 4, which is used for destructive testing, is not from the Military Standard. This standard does not contain the Military Standard's requirement for tightened inspection when the quality history of a supplier is unsatisfactory.      
1.3 The plans are based on inspection by attributes, that is, an article of product is inspected and is classified as either conforming to a requirement placed on it, or as nonconforming. Sampling plans based on inspection by variables are given in Guide B762. Variables plans are applicable when a test yields a numerical value for a characteristic, when the specification imposes a numerical limit on the characteristic, and when certain statistical criteria are met. These are explained in Guide B762.  
1.4 The plans in this guide are intended to be generally suitable. There may be instances in which tighter or looser plans or ones that are more discriminating are desired. Additional plans that may serve these needs are given in Guide B697. Also, Guide B697 describes the nature of attribute sampling plans and the several factors that must be considered in the selection of a sampling plan. More information and an even greater selection of plans are given in MIL-STD-105D, MIL-STD-414, ANSI/ASQC Z1.9-1979, Refs (1-7)2, and in Guide B697.  
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.6 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 The spiral contractometer, properly used, will give reproducible results (see 9.5) over a wide range of stress values. Internal stress limits with this method can be specified for use by both the purchaser and the producer of plated or electroformed parts.  
5.2 Plating with large tensile stresses will reduce the fatigue strength of a product made from high-strength steel. Maximum stress limits can be specified to minimize this. Other properties affected by stress include corrosion resistance, dimensional stability, cracking, and peeling.  
5.3 In control of electroforming solutions, the effects of stress are more widely recognized, and the control of stress is usually necessary to obtain a usable electroform. Internal stress limits can be determined and specified for production control.  
5.4 Internal stress values obtained by the spiral contractometer do not necessarily reflect the internal stress values found on a part plated in the same solution. Internal stress varies with many factors, such as coating thickness, preparation of substrate, current density, and temperature, as well as the solution composition. Closer correlation is achieved when the test conditions match those used to coat the part.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the use of the spiral contractometer for measuring the internal stress of metallic coatings as produced from plating solutions on a helical cathode. The test method can be used with electrolytic and autocatalytic deposits.  
1.2 The values stated in either SI units or inch-pound units are to be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system may not be exact equivalents; therefore, each system shall be used independently of the other. Combining values from the two systems may result in non-conformance with the standard.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 The thickness of a coating is critical to its performance and is specified in many specifications calling for coatings.  
4.2 These procedures are used for acceptance testing and appear in a few specifications.  
4.3 Coating thickness instruments are often calibrated with thickness standards that are based on mass and area measurements.  
4.4 The average thickness of a coating on the measured area can be calculated from its mass per unit area only if the density of the coating material is known.
SCOPE
1.1 This guide outlines a general method for determining the mass per unit area of electrodeposited, electroless, mechanically-deposited, vacuum-deposited, anodicoxide, and chemical conversion coatings by gravimetric and other chemical analysis procedures.  
1.2 This guide determines the average mass per unit area over a measured area.  
1.3 The stripping methods cited are described in specifications or in the open literature or have been used routinely by at least one laboratory.  
1.4 The procedures outlined can be used for many coating-substrate combinations. They cannot be used where the coating cannot be separated from the substrate by chemical or physical means as would be the case if white brass were plated with yellow brass.  
1.5 In principle, these procedures can be used to measure very thin coatings or to measure coatings over small areas, but not thin coatings over small areas. The limits depend on the required accuracy. For example, 2.5 mg/cm2  of coating might require 2.5 mg of coating covering 1 cm2, but 0.1 mg/cm2  of coating would require 25 cm2  to obtain 2.5 mg of coating.  
1.6 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.7 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.8 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

ABSTRACT
This guide covers the standard method for selecting sampling plans to be used in the inspection of electrodeposited metallic and inorganic coatings on products for the purpose of deciding whether submitted lots comply with the specifications applicable to the coatings. The characteristics of the sampling plan are expressed in terms of the Acceptable Quality Level (AQL), Limiting Quality Level (LQL), Average Outgoing Quality (AOQ), and Average Outgoing Quality Limit (AOQL). General procedures and criteria for the construction and selection of the type of sampling plan, selection of a specific plan, selection of the inspection lot, sampling and inspection of samples, and the disposition of lots are discussed fully.
SCOPE
1.1 This guide gives guidance in the selection of sampling plans to be used in the inspection of electrodeposited and related coatings on products for the purpose of deciding whether submitted lots of coated products comply with the specifications applicable to the coatings. This supplements Test Method B602 by giving more information on sampling inspection and by providing additional sampling plans for the user who finds the limited choice of plans in Test Method B602 to be inadequate.  
1.2 When using a sampling plan, a relatively small part of the articles in an inspection lot is selected and inspected. Based on the results, a decision is made that the inspection lot either does or does not satisfactorily conform to the specification.  
1.3 This guide also contains several sampling plans. The plans are attribute plans, that is, in the application of the plans each inspected article is classified as either conforming or nonconforming to each of the coating requirements. The number of nonconforming articles is compared to a maximum allowable number. The plans are simple and relatively few. Additional plans and more complex plans that cover more situations are given in the Refs (1-7)  at the end of this guide and in MIL-STD-105.  
1.4 Acceptance sampling plans are used:  
1.4.1 When the cost of inspection is high and the consequences of accepting a nonconforming article are not serious.  
1.4.2 When 100 % inspection is fatiguing and boring and, therefore, likely to result in errors. In these cases a sampling plan may provide greater protection than 100 % inspection.  
1.4.3 When inspection requires a destructive test. Here, sampling inspection must be used.  
1.5 Another general type of acceptance sampling plan that is not covered in these guidelines is the variables plan in which measured values of characteristics are analyzed by statistical procedures. Such plans, when applicable, can reduce inspection cost and increase quality protection. Information on variables plans is given in Test Method B762, MIL-STD-414, ANSI/ASQC Z1.9-1979, and Refs (1-2).  
1.6 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

ABSTRACT
This test method specifies the determination of the microhardness of metallic coatings upon various substrates (electroplated coatings). Measurements shall be made with the Knoop indenter under specified test loads, and the hardness shall be reported as a Knoop hardness number (HK).
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the determination of the hardness of metallic coatings upon various substrates. The measurements are made with the Knoop indenter under a test load of 0.245 N (25 gf) or 0.981 N (100 gf).  
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.3 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 If a coating is to fulfill its function of protecting or imparting unique properties to the surface of a substrate, it must adhere to the substrate for the expected service life. Because surface preparation (or lack of it) has a drastic effect on adhesion of coatings, a test method for evaluating adhesion to different surface treatments or of different coatings to the same treatment is of considerable use to the industry.  
4.2 The limitations of all adhesion methods, and the specific limitation of this test method to lower levels of adhesion (see 1.3) should be recognized before using it. These test methods are mechanized adaptations of Test Methods D3359; therefore, the intra- and interlaboratory precision of these test methods are similar to Test Methods D3359 and to other widely-accepted tests for coated substrates, for example, Test Method D2370, but this is partly the result of it being insensitive to all but large differences in adhesion. The pass-fail scale of 0 to 5 for Method B1 and B2 was selected deliberately to avoid a false impression of being sensitive.
SCOPE
1.1 These test methods describe procedures for assessing the adhesion of metallic and inorganic coatings and other thin films to metallic and nonmetallic substrates. Assessment is made by applying pressure-sensitive tape to a coated surface and then utilizing a mechanical device to remove the tape at a regulated, uniform rate and constant angle while simultaneously recording the removal force.  
1.2 Four methods are described. Methods A1 and A2 are intended primarily for use on parts. Methods B1 and B2 are intended primarily for use in laboratory evaluations. Methods B1 and B2 are not recommended for testing coatings and films on polymer substrates.  
1.3 These test methods may be used to establish whether the adhesion of a coating to a substrate is within a required range (between a quantified low and a quantified high level). Determination of actual adhesive forces requires more sophisticated methods of measurement. In multilayer systems adhesion failure may occur between intermediate coating layers so that the adhesion of the total coating system to the substrate may not necessarily be determined.  
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.6 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
3.1 Most coating specifications specify the thickness of the coating because coating thickness is often an important factor in the performance of the coating in service.  
3.2 The methods included in this guide are suitable for acceptance testing and are to be found in ASTM standards.  
3.3 Each method has its own limitations with respect to the kind of coating and its thickness.
SCOPE
1.1 This guide covers the methods for measuring the thickness of many metallic and inorganic coatings including electrodeposited, mechanically deposited, vacuum deposited, anodic oxide, and chemical conversion coatings.  
1.2 This guide is limited to tests considered in ASTM standards and does not cover certain tests that are employed for special applications.  
1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.5 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 The ability of a multilayer nickel deposit to enhance corrosion resistance is a function of the difference in the electrode potentials of the nickel layers (as measured individually at a fixed current density in a given electrolyte versus a reference electrode) and the thicknesses of the layers. The potential differences must be sufficient to cause the bright nickel or top layer to corrode preferentially and sacrificially with respect to the semi-bright nickel layer beneath it.  
4.2 This test procedure allows the measurement of these potential differences directly on an electroplated part rather than on separate foil specimens in such a way that time determines the thickness of each layer, while the potential difference between nickel layers is an indication of the corrosion resistance of the total nickel deposit.  
4.3 The interpretation and evaluation of the results of this test should be by agreement between the purchaser and the manufacturer.
Note 1: This test may be used as a quality assurance test of the multilayer nickel coatings applied in production. It should be understood that due to many factors that influence the progress of corrosion during actual use of the part, the performance of different multilayer nickel deposits in the test cannot be taken as an absolute indicator of the relative corrosion resistance of these deposits in service.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method closely estimates the thickness of individual layers of a multilayer nickel electrodeposit and the potential differences between the individual layers while being anodically stripped at constant current density.2,3  
1.2 This test method does not cover deposit systems other than multilayer electroplated nickel deposits.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 The thickness of a coating is often critical to its performance. For most nonferrous coatings on steel, the magnetic method is reliable for measuring coating thickness nondestructively and is suitable for specification acceptance testing and SPC/SQC applications.  
5.2 This test method should not be used to determine the thickness of electrodeposited nickel coatings on steel. Test Method B530 is suitable for that determination.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the use of magnetic instruments for the nondestructive measurement of the thickness of nonmagnetic coatings over ferrous or other magnetic base metals. It is intended to supplement manufacturers’ instructions for the operation of the instruments and is not intended to replace them.
Note 1: Autocatalytically deposited nickel-phosphorus alloys containing more than 8 % phosphorus are sufficiently nonmagnetic to be measured by this test method, as long as the measurement is made prior to any heat treatment.  
1.2 These instruments measure either the magnetic attraction between a magnet and the basis metal, as influenced by the presence of the coating (categorized as “magnetic pull-off”), or the change in magnetic-flux density within the probe (categorized as “electronic”). These instruments cannot distinguish the thickness of individual layers. They can only measure the cumulative thickness of all layers beneath the probe down to the base metal.  
1.3 Measurements made in accordance with this test method will be in compliance with the requirements of ISO International Standard 2178.  
1.4 Units—The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.  
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.6 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 This practice is useful as one method of controlling some electroplating solutions. It serves to indicate the presence of contamination or some other adverse condition.  
4.2 Ductility measurements are of particular value when electroplated parts are to be subjected to moderate stress such as that involved in bolting an electroplated bumper to an automobile or when exposed to a wide range of fluctuating temperatures (thermal shock).
SCOPE
1.1 This practice describes a procedure for measuring the ductility of electrodeposited foils.2  
1.2 This practice is suitable only for the evaluation of electrodeposits having low ductility.  
1.3 The obtained ductility values must only be considered semi-quantitative because this test has a significant operator dependence.  
1.4 This practice is best used for in-house process control where measurements are always made by the same operator. A change in ductility value can be used as an indication of possible changes in the electroplating solution.  
1.5 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.7 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 The thickness or mass per unit area of a coating is often critical to its performance.  
4.2 For some coating-substrate combinations, the beta backscatter method is a reliable method for measuring the coating nondestructively.  
4.3 The test method is suitable for thickness specification acceptance if the mass per unit area is specified. It is not suitable for specification acceptance if the coating thickness is specified and the density of the coating material can vary or is not known.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the beta backscatter gages for the nondestructive measurement of metallic and nonmetallic coatings on both metallic and nonmetallic substrate materials.  
1.2 The test method measures the mass of coating per unit area, which can also be expressed in linear thickness units provided that the density of the coating is known.  
1.3 The test method is applicable only if the atomic numbers or equivalent atomic numbers of the coating and substrate differ by an appropriate amount (see 6.2).  
1.4 Beta backscatter instruments employ a number of different radioactive isotopes. Although the activities of these isotopes are normally very low, they can present a hazard if handled incorrectly. This standard does not purport to address the safety issues and the proper handling of radioactive materials. It is the responsibility of the user to comply with applicable State and Federal regulations concerning the handling and use of radioactive material. Some States require licensing and registration of the radioactive isotopes.  
1.5 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.7 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
3.1 The CASS test is widely employed and is useful for specification acceptance, simulated service evaluation, manufacturing control, and research and development. It was developed specifically for use with decorative, electrodeposited nickel/chromium and copper/nickel/chromium coatings. Use of the test has improved the quality of electroplated parts and led to the development of new and superior electroplating processes.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method prescribes the conditions required in copper-accelerated acetic acid-salt spray (CASS) testing for specification purposes. The standard does not specify the type of test specimen or exposure periods to be used for a specific product, nor the interpretation to be given to the results.  
1.2 This test method is applicable to evaluating the corrosive performance of decorative copper/nickel/chromium or nickel/chromium coatings on steel, zinc alloys, aluminum alloys, and plastics designed for severe service. It is also applicable to the testing of anodized aluminum. The suitability of this test and correlation of results with service experience should be determined before it is specified for coating systems or materials other than those mentioned in this paragraph.  
Note 1: The following standards are not requirements. They are referenced for information only: Practices B537 and E50, Specifications B456 and B604, and Test Method B602.  
1.3 Units—The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. For more specific safety precautionary information see 8.1.  
1.5 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 This is a sensitive, noncontact, and nondestructive method for measuring the coating thickness (and in some cases, coating composition) of metallic and some nonmetallic coatings over a range of thicknesses from as little as 0.01 μm to as much as 75 μm depending on the coating and substrate materials. It can be used to measure coating and base combinations that are not readily measured by other techniques.  
5.2 The coating thickness is an important factor in the performance of a coating in service.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the use of X-ray spectrometry to determine thickness of metallic and some nonmetallic coatings.  
1.2 The maximum measurable thickness for a given coating is that thickness beyond which the intensity of the characteristic secondary X radiation from the coating or the substrate is no longer sensitive to small changes in thickness.  
1.3 This test method measures the mass of coating per unit area, which can also be expressed in units of linear thickness provided that the density of the coating is known.  
1.4 Problems of personnel protection against radiation generated in an X-ray tube or emanating from a radioisotope source are not covered by this test method. For information on this important aspect, reference should be made to current documents of the National Committee on Radiation Protection and Measurement, Federal Register, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, National Institute of Standards and Technology (formerly the National Bureau of Standards), and to state and local codes if such exist.  
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.6 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 The thickness of a coating is often critical to its performance. This eddy-current method is nondestructive and is suitable for measuring the thickness of anodic coatings on aluminum, as well as the thickness of most nonconductive coatings on nonmagnetic basis metals.  
5.2 This test method requires that the conductivity of the substrate be the same in the reference standard used for calibration adjustment and in the coated article to be measured.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the use of eddy-current instruments for the nondestructive measurement of the thickness of a nonconductive coating on a nonmagnetic basis metal. It is intended to supplement manufacturers’ instructions for the operation of the instruments and is not intended to replace them.  
1.2 This test method is particularly useful for measuring the thickness of an anodic coating on aluminum alloys. Chemical conversion coatings are too thin to be measured by this test method.  
1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.  
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.5 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 The thickness of a coating is often critical to its performance. This magnetic method is suitable for measuring nondestructively the thickness of some nickel coatings and for specification acceptance.  
5.2 This method requires that the magnetic properties of the coating and its substrate be the same as those of the reference standards used for the calibration adjustment of the instrument.  
5.3 This method should not be used to determine the thickness of autocatalytically deposited nickel-phosphorus alloys containing more than 8 % phosphorus on steel. Those coatings are sufficiently nonmagnetic for Test Method B499 to be suitable for that determination, as long as the measurement is made prior to any heat treatment.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the use of magnetic instruments for the nondestructive measurement of the thickness of an electrodeposited nickel coating on either a magnetic or nonmagnetic substrate. It is intended to supplement manufacturers’ instructions for the operation of the instruments and is not intended to replace them.  
1.2 These instruments measure either the magnetic attraction between a magnet and the coating-substrate combination (categorized as “magnetic pull-off”), or the change in magnetic flux density within the probe (categorized as “electronic”).  
1.3 For this test method, there are two types of coating-substrate combinations that can be encountered: Type A, nickel coatings on a magnetic substrate, and Type B, nickel coatings on a nonmagnetic substrate.  
1.4 The effective measuring ranges of instruments using the principle of magnetic attraction are up to 50 μm (2 mils) for Type A coatings, and up to 25 μm (1 mil) for Type B coatings. For gages based on change in magnetic flux density principles, the effective ranges are much greater, and measurements up to 1 mm (40 mils) or more, can be made on both types of coatings.  
1.5 Measurements made in accordance with this test method will be in compliance with the requirements of ISO Standard 2361 as printed in 1982.  
1.6 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.  
1.7 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.8 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 Coating thickness is an important factor in the performance of a coating in service and is usually specified in a coating specification.  
4.2 This method is suitable for acceptance testing.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers measurement of the local thickness of metal and oxide coatings by the microscopical examination of cross sections using an optical microscope.  
1.2 Under good conditions, when using an optical microscope, the method is capable of giving an absolute measuring accuracy of 0.8 μm. Accuracy will determine the suitability of the method for measuring the thickness of thin coatings. Accuracy is dependent upon the setup of the microscope and preparation of the sample; 0.8 μm should not be taken as an absolute and instead as guideline.  
1.2.1 Optical microscopes may use digital image capture devices and software to evaluate those images.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. (This is especially applicable to the chemicals cited in Table X2.1.)  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 The purpose of the alkaline polysulfide immersion test is to determine the presence of mechanical damage, wear-through, and other gross defects in the coating. Most metallic coatings are intended to be protective and the presence of gross defects indicates a serious reduction of such protection.  
5.2 The protection afforded by well applied coatings may be diminished by improper handling following plating or as a result of wear or mechanical damage during testing or while in service. The alkaline polysulfide test serves to indicate if the damage has extended down to the copper or copper alloy basis metal since it will not detect exposed nickel underplate.  
5.3 The alkaline polysulfide test has been specified in several ASTM specifications for tin-plated coatings, namely Specifications B246 and B545. This test could also be used to detect gross defects and mechanical damage in other metallic coatings, such as tin-nickel alloy (Specification B605), nickel (Specification B689), gold (Specification B488), palladium (Specification B679), and autocatalytic nickel-phosphorous coatings (Specification B733).  
5.4 This test detects mechanical damage that exposes copper underplate and copper basis metal. Such damage may occur in any post-plating operation or even towards the end of the plating operation. It is most often seen to occur in product assembly operations.  
5.5 If properly performed, this test will also detect wear-through, provided the wear-through reaches a copper or copper-alloy layer.  
5.6 Many types of gross defects are too small to be seen, except at magnifications so high (as in SEM) that a realistic assessment of the measurement area cannot be easily made. Other defects, such as many types of wear-through, provide insufficient contrast with the coating surface. Gross defects tests (as with porosity tests) are, therefore, used to magnify the defect sites by producing visible reaction products in and around the defects.  
5.7 The polysulfide solut...
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers equipment and methods for detecting gross defects and mechanical damage (including wear-through) in metallic coatings where the breaks in the coating penetrate down to a copper or copper alloy substrate.  
1.2 This test method is suitable for coatings consisting of single or combined layers of any coating that does not significantly tarnish in an alkaline polysulfide solution. Examples are gold, nickel, tin, tin-lead, and palladium, or their alloys.  
1.3 Recent reviews of porosity testing (which include those for gross defects) and testing methods can be found in literature.2,3 An ASTM guide to the selection of porosity and gross defect tests for electrodeposits and related metallic coatings is available as Guide B765. Other related porosity test standards are Test Methods B735, B741, B798, B799, and B809.  
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.  
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.6 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 The primary purpose of the PMA test is to determine the presence of mechanical damage, wear through, and other gross defects in the coating. Most metallic coatings are intended to be protective, and the presence of gross defects indicates a serious reduction of such protection.  
5.2 The protection afforded by well applied coatings may be diminished by improper handling following plating or as a result of wear or mechanical damage during testing or while in service. The PMA test can serve to indicate the existence of such damage.  
5.3 This test is used to detect underplate and substrate metal exposed through normal wear during relative motions (mating of electrical contacts) or through mechanical damage. As such, it is a sensitive pass/fail test and, if properly performed, will rapidly detect wear through to base metals or scratches that enter the base metal layers.  
5.4 This test is relatively insensitive to small pores. It is not designed to be a general porosity test and shall not be used as such. The detection of pores will depend upon their sizes and the length of time that the reagent remains a liquid.  
5.5 This test cannot distinguish degrees of wear through or whether the wear through is to nickel or copper. Once base metal is exposed, the colored molybdenum complex is formed. While relatively small area defects (compared to the area of the droplet) may be seen at the bottom of the drop as tiny colored regions immediately after applying the PMA, any larger areas of exposed base metal will cause the entire droplet to turn dark instantly.  
5.6 The PMA test also detects mechanical damage that exposes underplate and substrate metal. Such damage may occur in any postplating operation or even at the end of the plating operation. It can often occur in assembly operations where plated parts are assembled into larger units by mechanical equipment.  
5.7 The PMA test identifies the locations of exposed base metal. The extent and location of these exposed...
SCOPE
1.1 This test standard covers equipment and methods for using phosphomolybdic acid (PMA) to detect gross defects and mechanical damage including wear through in metallic coatings of gold, silver, or palladium. These metals comprise the topmost metallic layers over substrates of nickel, copper, or copper alloys.  
1.2 Recent reviews of porosity testing, which include those for gross defects, and testing methods can be found in the literature.2, 3 An ASTM guide to the selection of porosity and gross defect tests for electrodeposits and related metallic coatings is available as Guide B765. Other related porosity and gross defects test standards are Test Methods B735, B741, B798, B799, B809, and B866, Specifications B488, B679,and B689.  
1.3 The values stated in SI units are the preferred units. Those in parentheses are for information only.  
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.5 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 A major use of this test procedure is for determining coating quality. Porosity tests are indications of the completeness of protection or coverage offered by the coatings, since the coatings described in 1.2 are intended to be protective when properly applied. The porosity test results are therefore a measure of the deposition process control.  
5.2 A particular purpose of the humid sulfur vapor test is for determining the quality of underplates of nickel or nickel alloy in those finish systems that have thin, 1.2 μm or less (50 μin. or less) top layers above the nickel, since porosity in the underplate usually continues into such top layers.  
5.3 The humid sulfur vapor test is often used as an environmental test to simulate many indoor humid atmosphere tarnishing and tarnish creepage effects. However, the chemistry and properties of these tarnish films may not resemble those found in other service environments. For such product performance evaluations, the test should only be used in combination with other performance evaluation tests, as specified in the referencing document for that product.  
5.4 Porosity tests differ from corrosion and aging tests, since the latter are intended to measure the chemical inertness of the coating. In contrast, in a good porosity test procedure the corrosive agent should not attack the coating. It must instead, clean, depolarize, or activate the substrate metal exposed by the pore, or both, and attack it sufficiently to cause reaction products to fill the pore to the surface of the coating.  
5.5 The humid sulfur test is highly sensitive, and is capable of detecting virtually all porosity that penetrates down to copper or copper alloys. Since nickel is not attacked by moist sulfur vapor at 100°C or less, this test will not detect pores or cracks in the top coating if such pores or cracks do not penetrate through the nickel underplate overlaying the copper.  
5.6 The level of porosity in the coating that may be tolerable d...
SCOPE
1.1 This standard covers equipment and test methods for determining the porosity of metallic coatings, where the pores penetrate down to a silver, copper, or copper-alloy substrate.  
1.2 This test method is suitable for coatings consisting of single or combined layers of any coating that does not significantly tarnish in a reduced sulfur atmosphere, such as gold, nickel, tin, tin-lead, and palladium, or their alloys.  
1.3 This test method is designed to determine whether the porosity level is less than or greater than some value which by experience is considered by the user to be acceptable for the intended application.  
1.4 Recent reviews of porosity testing and testing methods can be found in the literature.2,3 Guide B765 is suitable to assist in the selection of porosity tests for electrodeposits and related metallic coatings. Other porosity test standards are Test Methods B735, B741, B798, and B799.  
1.5 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.  
1.6 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  For specific hazards statements, see Section 8.  
1.7 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 Internal stress in applied coatings exhibits potential to cause a breakdown of resistance to corrosion and erosion as a result of the formation of fractures from micro-cracking and macro-cracking within the applied coating. This phenomenon can also cause blistering, peeling, reduction of fatigue strength, and loss. The resulting stress can be tensile in nature, causing the deposit to contract, or compressive in nature, causing the deposit to expand.  
5.2 To maintain quality assurance by the bent strip method, it is necessary to monitor production processes for acceptable levels of internal deposit stress in applied coatings. Note that the highest value of the internal deposit stress as obtained on a stress-versus-plating-thickness curve is usually the truest value of the internal deposit stress. Most low values are false. Initial values tend to be lower than the actual value because of the effect of stock material edge burrs and the resistance of the stock material to bending. Excessive deposit thickness causes lower-than-true value since the coating overpowers and changes the initial modulus of elasticity of the test piece, which becomes more difficult to bend as the coating continues to build upon it. This phenomenon can be corrected considerably by use of a formula that compensates for modulus of elasticity differences between the deposit and the substrate materials, but it does remain a factor. See Eq 2.
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1.1 This test method for determining the internal tensile or compressive stress in applied coatings is quantitative. It is applicable to metallic layers that are applied by the processes of electroplating or chemical deposition that exhibit internal tensile or compressive stress values from 200 to 145 000 psi (1.38 to 1000 MPa).  
1.2 The values stated in either SI units or inch-pound units are to be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system are not necessarily exact equivalents; therefore, to ensure conformance with the standard, each system shall be used independently of the other, and values from the two systems shall not be combined.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 Internal stress in applied coatings exhibits potential to cause a breakdown of resistance to corrosion and erosion as a result of the formation of fractures from micro-cracking and macro-cracking within the applied coating. This phenomenon can also cause blistering, peeling, reduction of fatigue strength, and loss. The resulting stress can be tensile in nature, causing the deposit to contract, or compressive in nature, causing the deposit to expand.  
5.2 To maintain quality assurance by the bent strip method, it is necessary to monitor production processes for acceptable levels of internal deposit stress in applied coatings. Note that the highest value of the internal deposit stress as obtained on a stress-versus-plating-thickness curve is usually the truest value of the internal deposit stress. Most low values are false. Initial values tend to be lower than the actual value because of the effect of stock material edge burrs and the resistance of the stock material to bending. Excessive deposit thickness causes lower-than-true value since the coating overpowers and changes the initial modulus of elasticity of the test piece, which becomes more difficult to bend as the coating continues to build upon it. This phenomenon can be corrected considerably by use of a formula that compensates for modulus of elasticity differences between the deposit and the substrate materials, but it does remain a factor. See Eq 2.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method for determining the internal tensile or compressive stress in applied coatings is quantitative. It is applicable to metallic layers that are applied by the processes of electroplating or chemical deposition that exhibit internal tensile or compressive stress values from 200 to 145 000 psi (1.38 to 1000 MPa).  
1.2 The values stated in either SI units or inch-pound units are to be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system are not necessarily exact equivalents; therefore, to ensure conformance with the standard, each system shall be used independently of the other, and values from the two systems shall not be combined.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 The routine measurement of the ductility of electrodeposited and autocatalytically deposited metal coatings can be useful in process control, especially when the electroplating process is used for decorative and engineering purposes.
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1.1 This practice covers a test procedure for determining the ductility of electrodeposited and autocatalytically deposited coatings on sheet or strip basis metals. The purpose of the test is to determine the resistance of metal coatings to cracking during distortion.2  
1.2 Test Methods E8 can be used if the coatings are too ductile and require mandrels too small to be practical.  
1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.5 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 Nickel/chromium and copper/nickel/chromium electrodeposited coatings are widely used for decorative and protective applications. The Corrodkote test provides a method of controlling the quality of electroplated articles and is suitable for manufacturing control, as well as research and development.
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1.1 This test method covers the Corrodkote2 method of evaluating the corrosion performance of copper/nickel/chromium and nickel/chromium coatings electrodeposited on steel, zinc alloys, aluminum alloys, plastics and other substrates.  
Note 1: The following ASTM standards are not requirements. They are reference for information only: Practice B537, Specification B456, Test Method B602, and Specification B604.  
1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
2.1 These tests are useful for production control and for acceptance testing of products.  
2.2 Interpreting the results of qualitative methods for determining the adhesion of metallic coatings is often a controversial subject. If more than one test is used, failure to pass any one test is considered unsatisfactory. In many instances, the end use of the coated article or its method of fabrication will suggest the technique that best represents functional requirements. For example, an article that is to be subsequently formed would suggest a draw or a bend test; an article that is to be soldered or otherwise exposed to heat would suggest a heat-quench test. If a part requires baking or heat treating after plating, adhesion tests should be carried out after such posttreatment as well.  
2.3 Several of the tests are limited to specific types of coatings, thickness ranges, ductilities, or compositions of the substrate. These limitations are noted generally in the test descriptions and are summarized in Table 1 for certain metallic coatings. (A) + Appropriate; − not appropriate.    
2.4 “Perfect” adhesion exists if the bonding between the coating and the substrate is greater than the cohesive strength of either. Such adhesion is usually obtained if good electroplating practices are followed.  
2.5 For many purposes, the adhesion test has the objective of detecting any adhesion less than “perfect.” For such a test, one uses any means available to attempt to separate the coating from the substrate. This may be prying, hammering, bending, beating, heating, sawing, grinding, pulling, scribing, chiseling, or a combination of such treatments. If the coating peels, flakes, or lifts from the substrate, the adhesion is less than perfect.  
2.6 If evaluation of adhesion is required, it may be desirable to use one or more of the following tests. These tests have varying degrees of severity; and one might serve to distinguish between satisfactory and unsatisfactory adhesion in ...
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1.1 This practice covers simple, qualitative tests for evaluating the adhesion of metallic coatings on various substances.  
1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 The thickness of a metal coating is often critical to its performance.  
4.2 This procedure is useful for an approximate determination when the best possible accuracy is not required. For more reliable determinations, the following methods are available: Test Methods B487, B499, B504, and B568.  
4.3 This test assumes that the rate of dissolution of the coating by the corrosive reagent under the specified conditions is always the same.
SCOPE
1.1 This guide covers the use of the dropping test to measure the thickness of electrodeposited zinc, cadmium, copper, and tin coatings.  
Note 1: Under most circumstances this method of measuring coating thicknesses is not as reliable or as convenient to use as an appropriate coating thickness gauge (see Test Methods B499, B504, and B568).  
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.3 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 Porosity tests indicate the completeness of protection or coverage offered by the coating. When a given coating is known to be protective when properly deposited, the porosity serves as a measure of the control of the process. The effects of substrate finish and preparation, plating bath, coating process, and handling, may all affect the degree of imperfection that is measured.
Note 1: The substrate exposed by the pores may be the basis metal, an underplate, or both.  
4.2 The tests in this guide involve corrosion reactions in which the products delineate pores in coatings. Since the chemistry and properties of these products may not resemble those found in service environments, these tests are not recommended for prediction of product performance unless correlation is first established with service experience.
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1.1 This guide describes some of the available standard methods for the detection, identification, and measurement of porosity and gross defects in electrodeposited and related metallic coatings and provides some laboratory-type evaluations and acceptances. Some applications of the test methods are tabulated in Table 1 and Table 2.    
1.2 This guide does not apply to coatings that are produced by thermal spraying, ion bombardment, sputtering, and other similar techniques where the coatings are applied in the form of discrete particles impacting on the substrate.  
1.3 This guide does not apply to beneficial or controlled porosity, such as that present in microdiscontinuous chromium coatings.  
1.4 Porosity test results (including those for gross defects) occur as chemical reaction end products. Some occur in situ, others on paper, or in a gel coating. Observations are made that are consistent with the test method, the items being tested, and the requirements of the purchaser. These may be visual inspection (unaided eye) or by 10× magnification (microscope). Other methods may involve enlarged photographs or photomicrographs.  
1.5 The test methods are only summarized. The individual standards must be referred to for the instructions on how to perform the tests.  
1.6 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.  
1.7 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.8 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 The thickness of a decorative chromium coating is often critical to its performance.  
4.2 This procedure is useful for an approximate determination when the best possible accuracy is not required. For more reliable determinations, the following methods are available: Methods B504, B568, and B588.  
4.3 This test assumes that the rate of dissolution of the chromium by the hydrochloric acid under the specified conditions is always the same.
SCOPE
1.1 This guide covers the use of the spot test for the measurement of thicknesses of electrodeposited chromium coatings over nickel and stainless steel with an accuracy of about ±20 % (Section 9). It is applicable to thicknesses up to 1.2 μm.2
Note 1: Although this test can be used for coating thicknesses up to 1.2 μm, there is evidence that the results obtained by this method are high at thicknesses greater than 0.5 μm.3 In addition, for coating thicknesses above 0.5 μm, it is advisable to use a double drop of acid to prevent depletion of the test solution before completion of the test.  
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.3 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 Measurement of the thickness of a coating is essential to assessing its utility and cost.  
4.2 The coulometric method destroys the coating over a very small (about 0.1 cm2) test area. Therefore its use is limited to applications where a bare spot at the test area is acceptable or the test piece may be destroyed.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the determination of the thickness of metallic coatings by the coulometric method, also known as the anodic solution or electrochemical stripping method.  
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.3 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 In order that a sound solder joint be formed simply and quickly in a production operation, the molten solder must readily wet and spread over the surfaces of the products being joined. For this to happen, the surfaces must be clean or be soiled only with contaminants that are easily removed by an appropriate flux. It often is necessary that the flux be only strong enough to remove the normally occurring soils. A more aggressive flux may corrode the product and have other harmful effects. Nonactivated rosin in alcohol is the standard flux used in this test method; however, provision is made for the use of other fluxes. Since rosin is a mild flux, it provides better discrimination between acceptable and unacceptable solderability in marginal cases than do more active fluxes.  
4.2 Metallic coatings are frequently used to provide solderable surfaces. But, an improperly produced coating may not yield the required solderability. There are many coating defects that cause poor solderability including porosity, codeposited impurities, incorrect thickness, and surface contamination. It may be difficult or impractical to test a coating directly for each of the undesirable conditions. In these instances solderability is tested. Products that pass the solderability test can be expected to solder satisfactorily in production. In the case of failure to pass the test, the test results will not reveal the cause of the inadequate solderability, though, with experience, an operator may be able to identify the cause.  
4.3 This test method measures the ability of a coated product to be soldered with 60/40 tin/lead solder using a nonactivated rosin flux. This solder and this flux, or an activated form of it, are generally used in the assembly of electronic products.  
4.4 It is intended that the tested specimens be components of electronic products or articles with the same general shape and mass. Articles that are much more massive than this will heat up too slowly during the s...
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1.1 This test method provides a procedure for evaluating the solderability of metallic-coated products and test specimens to assure satisfactory performance in manufacturing processes requiring soldering with soft (tin-lead) solder and rosin flux. This test method is applicable only for testing coatings that are normally readily solderable such as: tin, tin-lead alloy, silver, and gold.  
1.2 This test method is qualitative and broadly applicable. It is easy to perform and requires only simple equipment. There are other solderability tests not covered by this test method that are more applicable to specific situations, yield quantitative results, or both. Several are described in the literature.2 This is a “go-no-go” test and does not grade solderability as excellent, good, fair, and so forth.  
1.3 This standard may involve hazardous materials, operations, and equipment. This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.4 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 If a coating is to fulfill its function of protecting or imparting unique properties to the surface of a substrate, it must adhere to the substrate for the expected service life. Because surface preparation (or lack of it) has a drastic effect on adhesion of coatings, a test method for evaluating adhesion to different surface treatments or of different coatings to the same treatment is of considerable use to the industry.  
4.2 The limitations of all adhesion methods, and the specific limitation of this test method to lower levels of adhesion (see 1.3) should be recognized before using it. These test methods are mechanized adaptations of Test Methods D3359; therefore, the intra- and interlaboratory precision of these test methods are similar to Test Methods D3359 and to other widely-accepted tests for coated substrates, for example, Test Method D2370, but this is partly the result of it being insensitive to all but large differences in adhesion. The pass-fail scale of 0 to 5 for Method B1 and B2 was selected deliberately to avoid a false impression of being sensitive.
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1.1 These test methods describe procedures for assessing the adhesion of metallic and inorganic coatings and other thin films to metallic and nonmetallic substrates. Assessment is made by applying pressure-sensitive tape to a coated surface and then utilizing a mechanical device to remove the tape at a regulated, uniform rate and constant angle while simultaneously recording the removal force.  
1.2 Four methods are described. Methods A1 and A2 are intended primarily for use on parts. Methods B1 and B2 are intended primarily for use in laboratory evaluations. Methods B1 and B2 are not recommended for testing coatings and films on polymer substrates.  
1.3 These test methods may be used to establish whether the adhesion of a coating to a substrate is within a required range (between a quantified low and a quantified high level). Determination of actual adhesive forces requires more sophisticated methods of measurement. In multilayer systems adhesion failure may occur between intermediate coating layers so that the adhesion of the total coating system to the substrate may not necessarily be determined.  
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 The thickness of a coating is critical to its performance and is specified in many specifications calling for coatings.  
4.2 These procedures are used for acceptance testing and appear in a few specifications.  
4.3 Coating thickness instruments are often calibrated with thickness standards that are based on mass and area measurements.  
4.4 The average thickness of a coating on the measured area can be calculated from its mass per unit area only if the density of the coating material is known.
SCOPE
1.1 This guide outlines a general method for determining the mass per unit area of electrodeposited, electroless, mechanically-deposited, vacuum-deposited, anodicoxide, and chemical conversion coatings by gravimetric and other chemical analysis procedures.  
1.2 This guide determines the average mass per unit area over a measured area.  
1.3 The stripping methods cited are described in specifications or in the open literature or have been used routinely by at least one laboratory.  
1.4 The procedures outlined can be used for many coating-substrate combinations. They cannot be used where the coating cannot be separated from the substrate by chemical or physical means as would be the case if white brass were plated with yellow brass.  
1.5 In principle, these procedures can be used to measure very thin coatings or to measure coatings over small areas, but not thin coatings over small areas. The limits depend on the required accuracy. For example, 2.5 mg/cm2  of coating might require 2.5 mg of coating covering 1 cm2, but 0.1 mg/cm2  of coating would require 25 cm2  to obtain 2.5 mg of coating.  
1.6 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.7 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

ABSTRACT
This guide covers the standard method for selecting sampling plans to be used in the inspection of electrodeposited metallic and inorganic coatings on products for the purpose of deciding whether submitted lots comply with the specifications applicable to the coatings. The characteristics of the sampling plan are expressed in terms of the Acceptable Quality Level (AQL), Limiting Quality Level (LQL), Average Outgoing Quality (AOQ), and Average Outgoing Quality Limit (AOQL). General procedures and criteria for the construction and selection of the type of sampling plan, selection of a specific plan, selection of the inspection lot, sampling and inspection of samples, and the disposition of lots are discussed fully.
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1.1 This guide gives guidance in the selection of sampling plans to be used in the inspection of electrodeposited and related coatings on products for the purpose of deciding whether submitted lots of coated products comply with the specifications applicable to the coatings. This supplements Test Method B602 by giving more information on sampling inspection and by providing additional sampling plans for the user who finds the limited choice of plans in Test Method B602 to be inadequate.  
1.2 When using a sampling plan, a relatively small part of the articles in an inspection lot is selected and inspected. Based on the results, a decision is made that the inspection lot either does or does not satisfactorily conform to the specification.  
1.3 This guide also contains several sampling plans. The plans are attribute plans, that is, in the application of the plans each inspected article is classified as either conforming or nonconforming to each of the coating requirements. The number of nonconforming articles is compared to a maximum allowable number. The plans are simple and relatively few. Additional plans and more complex plans that cover more situations are given in the Refs (1-7)  at the end of this guide and in MIL-STD-105.  
1.4 Acceptance sampling plans are used:  
1.4.1 When the cost of inspection is high and the consequences of accepting a nonconforming article are not serious.  
1.4.2 When 100 % inspection is fatiguing and boring and, therefore, likely to result in errors. In these cases a sampling plan may provide greater protection than 100 % inspection.  
1.4.3 When inspection requires a destructive test. Here, sampling inspection must be used.  
1.5 Another general type of acceptance sampling plan that is not covered in these guidelines is the variables plan in which measured values of characteristics are analyzed by statistical procedures. Such plans, when applicable, can reduce inspection cost and increase quality protection. Information on variables plans is given in Test Method B762, MIL-STD-414, ANSI/ASQC Z1.9-1979, and Refs (1-2).

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 Sampling inspection permits the estimation of the overall quality of a group of product articles through the inspection of a relatively small number of product articles drawn from the group.  
5.2 The specification of a sampling plan provides purchasers and sellers a means of identifying the minimum quality level that is considered to be satisfactory.  
5.3 Because sampling plans yield estimates of the quality of a product, the results of the inspection are subject to error. Through the selection of a sampling plan, the potential error is known and controlled.  
5.4 Sampling inspection is used when a decision must be made about what to do with a quantity of articles. This quantity may be a shipment from a supplier, articles that are ready for a subsequent manufacturing operation, or articles ready for shipment to a customer.  
5.5 In sampling inspection, a relatively small number of articles (the sample) is selected randomly from a larger number of articles (the inspection lot); the sample is inspected for conformance to the requirements placed on the articles. Based on the results, a decision is made whether or not the lot conforms to the requirements.  
5.6 Since only a portion of a production lot is inspected, the quality of the uninspected articles is not known. The possibility exists that some of the uninspected articles are nonconforming. Therefore, basic to any sampling inspection plan is the willingness of the buyer to accept lots that contain some nonconforming articles. The number of nonconforming articles in accepted lots is controlled by the size of the sample and the criteria of acceptance that are placed on the sample.  
5.7 Acceptance sampling plans are used for the following reasons:  
5.7.1 When the cost of inspection is high and the consequences of accepting a nonconforming article are not serious.  
5.7.2 When 100 % inspection is fatiguing and boring and, therefore, likely to result in errors.  
5.7.3 When inspection requires a destru...
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1.1 This test method provides sampling plans that are intended for use in the inspection of metallic and inorganic coatings on products for the purpose of deciding whether submitted lots of coated products comply with the specifications applicable to the coating.  
1.2 The sampling plans are variables plans. In plans of this type, several articles of product are drawn from a production lot. A characteristic of the coating on the drawn articles is measured. The values obtained are used to estimate the number of articles in the lot that do not conform to a numerical limit, for example a minimum thickness. The number is compared to a maximum allowable.  
1.3 Variables plans can only be used when the characteristic of interest is measurable, the test method gives a numerical measure of the characteristic, and the specification places a numerical limit on the measured value. It is also necessary that the variation of the characteristic from article to article in a production lot be normally distributed (see Appendix X2). Each article must be tested in the same way (for example, coating thickness must be measured at the same location, see X2.7) so that the values from article to article are comparable. If one or more of these conditions are not met, a variables plan cannot be used. Instead, an attributes plan must be used. These are given in Test Method B602 and Guide B697.  
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 Sampling inspection permits the estimation of the overall quality of a group of product articles through the inspection of a relatively small number of product items drawn from the group.  
4.2 The selection of a sampling plan provides purchasers and sellers a means of identifying the minimum quality levels that are considered to be satisfactory.  
4.3 Because sampling plans will only yield estimates of the quality of a product, the results of the inspection are subject to error. Through the use of sampling plans, the risk of error is known and controlled.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method gives sampling plans that are intended for use in the inspection of metallic and inorganic coatings for conformance to ASTM standard specifications.  
1.2 The plans in this test method, except as noted, have been selected from some of the single sampling plans of MIL-STD-105D. The specific plans selected are identified in Tables 1-3 of this test method. The plan of Table 4, which is used for destructive testing, is not from the Military Standard. This standard does not contain the Military Standard's requirement for tightened inspection when the quality history of a supplier is unsatisfactory. (A) Taken from MIL-STD-105D, Single Sampling Plan, Level II, AQL = 0.65, Normal Inspection.(B) The smallest lots are 100 % inspected, and so there is no sampling risk. For this reason, there are no AQL, etc.  (A) Taken from MIL-STD-105D, Single Sampling Plan, Level II, AQL = 1.5, Normal Inspection.(B) The smallest lots are 100 % inspected, and so there is no sampling risk. For this reason, there are no AQL, etc.  (A) Taken from MIL-STD-105D, Single Sampling Plan, Level II, AQL = 2.5, Normal Inspection.(B) The smallest lots are 100 % inspected, and so there is no sampling risk. For this reason, there are no AQL, etc.  (A) AOQLs are not given because destructive tests cannot be used to screen rejected lots. This plan is not found in MIL-STD-105D.  
1.3 The plans are based on inspection by attributes, that is, an article of product is inspected and is classified as either conforming to a requirement placed on it, or as nonconforming. Sampling plans based on inspection by variables are given in Test Method B762. Variables plans are applicable when a test yields a numerical value for a characteristic, when the specification imposes a numerical limit on the characteristic, and when certain statistical criteria are met. These are explained in Test Method B762.  
1.4 The plans in this test method are intended to be generally suitable. There may be instances in which tighter or looser plans or ones that are more discriminating are desired. Additional plans that may serve these needs are given in Guide B697. Also, Guide B697 describes the nature of attribute sampling plans and the several factors that must be considered in the selection of a sampling plan. More information and an even greater selection of plans are given in MIL-STD-105D, MIL-STD-414, ANSI/ASQC Z1.9-1979, Refs (1-7)2, and in Guide B697.  
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
4.1 This test method is useful for the direct measurement of the thicknesses of metallic coatings and of individual layers of composite coatings, particularly for layers thinner than normally measured with the light microscope.  
4.2 This test method is suitable for acceptance testing.  
4.3 This test method is for the measurement of the thickness of the coating over a very small area and not of the average or minimum thickness per se.  
4.4 Accurate measurements by this test method generally require very careful sample preparation, especially at the greater magnifications.  
4.5 The coating thickness is an important factor in the performance of a coating in service.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the measurement of metallic coating thicknesses by examination of a cross section with a scanning electron microsope (SEM).  
1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 The spiral contractometer, properly used, will give reproducible results (see 9.5) over a wide range of stress values. Internal stress limits with this method can be specified for use by both the purchaser and the producer of plated or electroformed parts.  
5.2 Plating with large tensile stresses will reduce the fatigue strength of a product made from high-strength steel. Maximum stress limits can be specified to minimize this. Other properties affected by stress include corrosion resistance, dimensional stability, cracking, and peeling.  
5.3 In control of electroforming solutions, the effects of stress are more widely recognized, and the control of stress is usually necessary to obtain a usable electroform. Internal stress limits can be determined and specified for production control.  
5.4 Internal stress values obtained by the spiral contractometer do not necessarily reflect the internal stress values found on a part plated in the same solution. Internal stress varies with many factors, such as coating thickness, preparation of substrate, current density, and temperature, as well as the solution composition. Closer correlation is achieved when the test conditions match those used to coat the part.
SCOPE
1.1 This test method covers the use of the spiral contractometer for measuring the internal stress of metallic coatings as produced from plating solutions on a helical cathode. The test method can be used with electrolytic and autocatalytic deposits.  
1.2 The values stated in either SI units or inch-pound units are to be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system may not be exact equivalents; therefore, each system shall be used independently of the other. Combining values from the two systems may result in non-conformance with the standard.  
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
3.1 This test replicates in the laboratory the corrosive actions of a film containing hygroscopic chlorides and solid material (mud) on electroplated chromium. The test’s reactive media, the test slurry, was developed to simulate the film found on electroplated chromium deposits during a winter in Russia, thus the common name for the test, Russian Mud Test.  
3.2 This test is used for specification acceptance, simulated service evaluation, manufacturing control, and research and development. It was developed specifically for use on components with electrodeposited chromium coatings exposed to hygroscopic chlorides. Test and production specimens may be used. Use of a standardized test could help in developing improved quality of chromium electrodeposited components and lead to the development of improved electroplated chromium systems.  
3.3 This test simulates the amount of electrodeposited decorative and functional chromium deposit lost when exposed to the combination of “mud/solid material” and hygroscopic chlorides, most commonly calcium chloride. The metric is the loss of only the chromium and adjacent nickel layer. Other tests used with nickel/chromium electroplated components, such as CASS (Test Method B368), simulate the resistance of the part to basis metal corrosion involving all of the component’s deposits and substrate.
SCOPE
1.1 This standard details a laboratory method to accelerate the effects of exposure to hygroscopic corrosive chloride compounds on electroplated chromium components. It is applicable to any substrate and coating system that utilizes electroplated chromium as the final metallic coating.  
1.2 Field experience has shown that hygroscopic chlorides are significantly more aggressive than sodium chloride toward chromium electroplated deposits. The most common of which is calcium chloride.  
1.3 The standard does not specify exposure periods to be used for a specific product nor the interpretation to be given to the results. The suitability of this test and correlation of results with service experience should be determined before it is specified for coating systems.  
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.  
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.