Meaning and Purpose
4.1 Water causes the coating to degrade, so understanding how the coating is waterproof helps to predict its service life. Condensation test failures can be caused by a variety of factors, including defects in the coating itself, contamination of the substrate, or inadequate surface treatment. Therefore, the test can be used to evaluate individual coatings or complete coating systems.

4.2 Condensation tests of coatings are used for specification acceptance, quality control, and research and development of coating and substrate treatments. These tests typically lead to a determination of pass or failure, but can also measure the extent of failure. If there is no evidence of water-related failure after a specified time period, the coating system is considered to have passed.

4.3 Until the quantitative relevance of the coating or coating system is determined, the results obtained using condensation tests in accordance with this practice should not be expressed as equivalent to a period of exposure to water in the natural environment.

4.4 The test is usually performed on metal, plastic or wood specimens with the coating facing the interior of the chamber. However, the foaming resistance of house coatings on wood specimens can be tested by mounting an uncoated wood surface facing the interior part of the chamber.

4.5 This practice can be used for corrosion testing, especially if the specimen is regularly dried. Although the corrosion products are discharged into the water bath, they are not carried into the steam condensing on the specimen.

ASTM D 4585-2018 “Determination of Water Resistance of Coatings by Controlled Condensation”

Scope of
1.1 This practice covers the fundamentals and operating procedures for testing the water resistance of coatings using controlled condensation. Condensation was generated by exposing one surface of the coated specimen to a heated saturated air and water vapor mixture, while the opposite side of the specimen was exposed to the cooling effect of room temperature air. The practice stems from research by the Cleveland Paint Technology Association. Arabic numerals

1.2 This practice is limited to methods of obtaining, measuring and controlling conditions and procedures for controlled condensation tests. It does not specify sample preparation, specific test conditions, or evaluation of results.

Note 1: Alternative methods for testing water resistance of coatings include practices D870, D1735 and D2247.

1.3 Values expressed in SI units or inch-pound units should be treated separately as standard values. The values specified in each system may not be exactly equivalent; Therefore, each system should be used independently of each other. Merging the values of the two systems may result in non-compliance with the criteria.

ASTM D 4585-2018 “Determination of Water Resistance of Coatings by Controlled Condensation”

1.4 This standard is not intended to address all safety issues, 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 to determine the applicability of regulatory restrictions prior to use.

1.5 This international Standard has been developed in accordance with the internationally recognized standardization principles established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guidelines and Recommendations issued by the Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade of the World Trade Organization.