4.1 The guide is intended to facilitate the recording of corrosion test results and does not imply or endorse any particular database design or schema. It provides a useful reference to be consulted before initiating a corrosion test to be sure plans are made to record all relevant data.

4.2 Corrosion tests are usually performed following a prescribed test procedure that is often not a standard test method. Most corrosion tests involve concurrent exposure of multiple specimens of one or more materials (refer to 6.1.1).

4.3 This guide is designed to record data for individual specimens with groupings by separate tests (as contrasted to separate test methods) as described in 4.2 and 6.1.1. Consequently, some of the individual fields may apply to all of the specimens in a single test, while others must be repeated as often as necessary to record data for individual specimens.

4.4 The guidelines provided are designed for recording data for entry into computerized material performance databases. They may be useful for other applications where systematic recording of corrosion data is desired.

4.5 Reliable comparisons of corrosion data from multiple sources will be expedited if data are provided for as many of the listed fields as possible. Comparisons are possible where data are limited, but some degree of uncertainty will be present.

4.6 Certain specialized corrosion tests may require additional data elements to fully characterize the data recorded. This guide does not preclude these additions. Other ASTM guides for recording data from mechanical property tests may be helpful.

4.7 This guide does not cover the recording of data from electrochemical corrosion tests.

4.8 These material identification guidelines are compatible with Guide E1338.

1.1 This guide covers the data categories and specific data elements (fields) considered necessary to accommodate desired search strategies and reliable data comparisons in computerized corrosion databases. The data entries are designed to accommodate data relative to the basic forms of corrosion and to serve as guides for structuring multiple source database compilations capable of assessing compatibility of metals and alloys for a wide range of environments and exposure conditions.