Accelerated Corrosion Results for Zinc/Nickel-Plated 

Automotive Parts Posttreated With 

Trivalent Chromate Rinse 

by Chris E. Miller, Brian E. Placzankis, and I. Carl Handsy 

ARL-TR-5361 September 2010 

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. 
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Army Research Laboratory 

Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21005-5069 

ARL-TR-5361 September 2010 

Accelerated Corrosion Results for Zinc/Nickel-Plated 

Automotive Parts Posttreated With 

Trivalent Chromate Rinse 

Chris E. Miller and Brian E. Placzankis 

Weapons and Materials Research Directorate, ARL 

I. Carl Handsy 

U.S. Army TACOM-TARDEC 

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. 
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4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE 

Accelerated Corrosion Results for Zinc/Nickel-Plated Automotive Parts 

Posttreated With Trivalent Chromate Rinse 

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Chris E. Miller, Brian E. Placzankis, and I. Carl Handsy*

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U.S. Army Research Laboratory 

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Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21005-5069 

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U.S. Army TACOM-TARDEC, AMSTA-TR-E1 MEPS1267, Warren, MI 48397 

14. ABSTRACT 

Electroplated zinc/nickel components posttreated with trivalent chromate rinse were randomly selected from production lines of 

a German automotive manufacturer. Both rack- and barrel-plating processes were represented among the samples. These 

components were then exposed to one of two accelerated corrosion environments, ASTM B 117 (Standard Method of Salt 

Spray [Fog] Testing, Annu. Book ASTM Stand., 1997) or GM 9540 (Accelerated Corrosion Test; General Motors Engineering 

Standards, 1997). Performance under accelerated corrosion conditions far exceeded expectations suggesting viable military use 

with little or no additional capital expenditure. 

15. SUBJECT TERMS

zinc-nickel, corrosion, hexavalent chromate alternatives, chromium, electroplating, posttreatments, ASTM B 117, GM 9540, TCP

16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 

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OF ABSTRACT 

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Chris E. Miller 

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iii

Contents 

List of Figures iv

Acknowledgments v

1. Procedure 1

2. Results 1

3. Discussion of Results 3

4. Conclusions 14

Distribution List 15 
iv

List of Figures 

Figure 1. Brake line connector prior to exposure. ..........................................................................3

Figure 2. Brake line connector following ASTM B 117 exposure. ................................................4

Figure 3. Brake line connector following eight cycles GM 9540 exposure. ..................................4

Figure 4. Bushing before exposure. ................................................................................................5

Figure 5. Bushings following 12,792, 12,624, and 10,536 h of ASTM B 117 exposure. ..............5

Figure 6. Bushings following 680 cycles of GM 9540 exposure. ..................................................5

Figure 7. Bracket before exposure. .................................................................................................6

Figure 8. Rocker arms before exposure. .........................................................................................6

Figure 9. Hydraulic fluid diverter before exposure. .......................................................................7

Figure 10. Hex head fluid line cap before exposure. ......................................................................7

Figure 11. Hex head with outside threaded fluid cap before exposure. ..........................................7

Figure 12. Fluid line part before exposure. .....................................................................................7

Figure 13. Threaded U-bracket before exposure. ...........................................................................8

Figure 14. Threaded U-bracket following GM 9540 exposures. ....................................................8

Figure 15. Threaded plug before and after 170 cycles of GM 9540 exposure. ..............................9

Figure 16. Unidentified component A before exposure. .................................................................9

Figure 17. Unidentified component A following 5544 h of ASTM B 117 and 44 cycles of 

GM 9540 exposure. ....................................................................................................................9

Figure 18. Sleeve before exposure. ...............................................................................................10

Figure 19. Sleeves following an average of 5388 h of ASTM B 117 exposure and an average 

of 47 cycles of GM 9540 exposure. .........................................................................................10

Figure 20. Fluid line before exposure. ..........................................................................................10

Figure 21. Fluid line following 1392 h of ASTM B 117 and following 30 cycles of GM 9540 

exposure. ..................................................................................................................................11

Figure 22. Unidentified component B before exposure. ...............................................................11

Figure 23. Unidentified component B following an average of 980 h of ASTM B 117 

exposure and an average of 61 cycles of GM 9540 exposure. .................................................11

Figure 24. Bracket coated with zinc/iron before exposure. ..........................................................12

Figure 25. Bracket coated with zinc/iron following 720 h of ASTM B 117 and 27 cycles of 

GM 9540 exposure. ..................................................................................................................12

Figure 26. Bracket coated with zinc before exposure. ..................................................................12

Figure 27. Bracket coated with zinc following exposure of 552 h in ASTM B 117 and 

27 cycles in GM 9540. .............................................................................................................13

Figure 28. Fluid line before exposure. ..........................................................................................13

Figure 29. Fluid line following exposure of 720 h in ASTM B 117 and 21 cycles in GM 

9540..........................................................................................................................................13 
v

Acknowledgments 

The authors would like to thank Joerg Hohnloser of Gaertner-Klinger for supplying the parts 

used in these exposures. 
vi

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1

1. Procedure 

Parts that were rack or barrel plated with 0.2–0.5 mil zinc/nickel, zinc, or zinc/iron and 

posttreated with a version of tri-chromate process (TCP—MIL-DTL-5541,1

 Type III) were 

randomly taken from the assembly line floor of an automotive plant in Germany. These 17 

different parts, ranging from brackets to fluid lines and threaded couplers, generally remain 

unpainted on an automobile. One sample of each part was retained as a virgin control sample, 

with the remaining parts being divided into two groups, where each group was exposed to a 

specific accelerated chamber corrosion testing protocol. 

The first group was exposed as-received to standard 5% NaCl salt fog in a Harshaw Model 22 

chamber following procedures described in ASTM B 117.2

 Samples were examined periodically 

for appearance of red rust on any surface. Once rust appeared, samples were removed and the 

exposure time noted. 

A CCT-NC-20 cyclic corrosion test chamber from Autotechnology was used to perform the 

GM 95403 test on the second group of parts. GM 9540 consists of the repetition of 18 separate 

stages, including salt (1.25% solutes by mass: 0.9% NaCl, 0.1% CaCl2, 0.25% NaHCO3) water 

mist, humidity, drying, ambient, and heated drying. The environmental conditions and duration 

of each stage for one complete GM 9540 cycle are given in table 1. Sample components were 

not scribed prior to exposure. Periodic inspections of the components were made. The criterion 

for termination was the appearance of red rust. Terminated components were removed, with the 

length of exposure noted. In addition, standard plain carbon steel calibration coupons described 

in GM 9540 and supplied by GM were initially weighed, exposed to the same accelerated 

corrosion conditions as the test components, and subsequently monitored for mass loss at 

intervals set by the specification. Mass losses measured for steel coupons used for this test were 

within parameters stated in the GM specification. 

2. Results 

The length of exposure for each specimen type in that lot and the average for all specimen types 

are presented in table 2. Barrel-plated parts were part nos. 2, 3, 6, 10, 11, and 12. 

 1

MIL-DTL-5541. Chemical Conversion Coatings on Aluminum and Aluminum Alloys 2007. 2ASTM B 117. Standard Method of Salt Spray (Fog) Testing. Annu. Book ASTM Stand. 1997. 3GM 9540. Accelerated Corrosion Test; General Motors Engineering Standards 1997.
2

Table 1. GM 9540 cyclic corrosion test details. 

Interval Description Interval time 

(min) 

Temperature 

(±3 °C) 

1 Ramp to salt mist 15 25 

2 Salt mist cycle 1 25 

3 Dry cycle 15 30 

4 Ramp to salt mist 70 25 

5 Salt mist cycle 1 25 

6 Dry cycle 15 30 

7 Ramp to salt mist 70 25 

8 Salt mist cycle 1 25 

9 Dry cycle 15 30 

10 Ramp to salt mist 70 25 

11 Salt mist cycle 1 25 

12 Dry cycle 15 30 

13 Ramp to humidity 15 49 

14 Humidity cycle 480 49 

15 Ramp to dry 15 60 

16 Dry cycle 480 60 

17 Ramp to ambient 15 25 

18 Ambient cycle 480 25 

Table 2. Length of exposure until first rust appeared (number of samples based on availability). 

 ASTM B 117 GM 9540 

Part No. Hours Average Cycles Average 

1 10,468 6048 11,856 — — — 9457 324 118 — — — 221 

2 7104 5076 — — — — 6090 475 475 — — — 475 

3 2752 2752 2928 4536 2352 2752 3012 420 582 582 590 590 553 

4 1500 720 720 — — — 980 27 94 — — — 61 

5 5076 5076 — — — — 5076 649 260 — — — 455 

6 5544 — — — — — 5544 170 — — — — 170 

7 12,624 10,536 12,792 — — — 11,984 680 680 — — — 680 

8 1392 — — — — — 1392 30 — — — — 30 

9 168 304 — — — — 236 8 8 — — — 8 

10 5026 4536 — — — — 4781 641 632 — — — 637 

11 9960 9960 9960 — — — 9960 171 649 — — — 410 

12 5076 4536 3392 — — — 4335 366 553 — — — 460 

13 8496 2592 5076 — — — 5388 47 44 — — — 46 

14 5544 — — — — — 5544 44 — — — — 44 

15 720 — — — — — 720 27 — — — — 27 

16 552 552 — — — — 552 27 27 — — — 27 

17 720 — — — — — 720 21 — — — — 21 
3

3. Discussion of Results 

Steel parts zinc/nickel-plated and posttreated with TCP were tested using the same specification 

as cadmium-plated parts with a hexavalent chromium seal. For the specification SAE-AMS-QQP-416,4

 the minimum acceptable corrosion resistance criterion is that after 96 h of ASTM B 117 

exposure, there should be no appearance of white cadmium corrosion products, pitting, or base 

metal corrosion products. The Metal Finishing Handbook cites examples of zinc-plated parts 

rack and barrel plated with a hexavalent chromium rinse lasting 400 and 300 h in neutral salt 

spray. 5 Similarly plated samples post treated with trivalent chromium rinse lasted 450 and 200 h 

in neutral salt spray, respectively. Since zinc/nickel is generally superior over steel, it is believed 

that plated parts surviving in excess of 336 h of ASTM B 117 exposure will exhibit “good” 

performance in the engine compartment of a vehicle. Similarly, parts surviving between 40 and 

80 cycles of GM 9540 exposure before first evidence of red corrosion are also considered to have 

“good” corrosion performance. By both of these criteria, only one of these parts (part 9—a brake 

line connector with a sliding threaded coupling that had the lowest rating for both protocols) did 

not have “good” corrosion metrics. As seen in figures 1–3, this part has a complex shape, with 

some surfaces of the line that could have been shielded during the plating and sealing operations. 

Figure 1. Brake line connector prior to exposure.

 4

SAE-AMS-QQ-P-416. Plating, Cadmium (Electrodeposited); Society of Automotive Engineers: Warrendale, 

PA, October 2004.

5Metal Finishing Handbook 6A, 103, pp 384–384.
4

Figure 2. Brake line connector following ASTM B 117 exposure. 

Figure 3. Brake line connector following eight cycles GM 9540 exposure. 

Conversely, there were seven parts that exhibited exceptional corrosion resistance during both 

accelerated exposure protocols. The best combined rating was for the bushings (part 7) shown in 

figures 4–6. This part lasted 36 the “good” criterion for ASTM B 117 and 15 the “good” 

criterion for GM 9540. Other parts that had exceptional performance in both exposures were the 

bracket (part 11, barrel plated; figure 7), the rocker arms (part 2, barrel plated; figure 8), the 
5

Figure 4. Bushing before exposure. 

Figure 5. Bushings following 12,792, 12,624, and 10,536 h of ASTM B 117 

exposure. 

Figure 6. Bushings following 680 cycles of GM 9540 exposure.
6

Figure 7. Bracket before exposure. 

Figure 8. Rocker arms before exposure. 

hydraulic fluid diverter (part 5; figure 9), the hex head fluid line caps (part 10, barrel plated; 

figure 10), the outside threaded hex head fluid cap (part 12, barrel plated; figure 11), and the 

fluid line part (part 3, barrel plated; in figure 12). All of these parts have relatively simple shapes 

that provided ample access for the plating solution and the sealer to all surfaces. For interior 

surfaces, the diameter-to-length ratio was large and the three threaded parts all had coarse 

threads; so, again, the plating solution and the sealer had ample “throwing power.”
7

Figure 9. Hydraulic fluid diverter before exposure. 

Figure 10. Hex head fluid line cap before exposure. 

Figure 11. Hex head with outside threaded fluid cap before exposure. 

Figure 12. Fluid line part before exposure.
8

There are three additional categories, based on performance in the two accelerated tests, that the 

remainder of the parts fell into. The first of these included parts that had superlative 

performance during ASTM B 117 exposure, whereas the GM 9540 performance was only three 

or four times the 40 cycle criterion for “good” performance. Both the threaded U-bracket (part 1; 

figures 13–14) and the Allen-keyed threaded plug (part 6, barrel plated; figures 15a and b) fall into 

this category. Finer threads on the bracket and a geometry that may retain chamber test fluids may 

have contributed to their relatively poorer performance in GM 9540. 

Figure 13. Threaded U-bracket before exposure. 

Figure 14. Threaded U-bracket following GM 9540 exposures.
9

Figure 15. Threaded plug before and after 170 cycles of GM 9540 exposure. 

The next performance category contained those parts that sustained exposures more than three 

times the required 336 hours of ASTM B 117 exposure, but they had only the requisite 40 cycles 

of GM 9540 exposure. This group included unidentified component A (part 14; figures 16 and 

17), a sleeve (part 13; figures 18 and 19), fluid line (part 8; figures 20 and 21), and an unidentified 

component B (part 4; figures 22 and 23). In general, these parts had shapes that were more 

complex, with smaller diameter-to-length ratios, and two that had welds that created crevices. The 

three parts with a tubular component often had corrosion develop well down the inner diameter 

of the tube. 

Figure 16. Unidentified component A before exposure. 

Figure 17. Unidentified component A following 5544 h of ASTM B 117 and 44 cycles of GM 9540 exposure.

 (a) (b) 

(a) (b) 
10

Figure 18. Sleeve before exposure. 

Figure 19. Sleeves following an average of 5388 h of ASTM B 117 exposure and an average of 47 cycles 

of GM 9540 exposure. 

Figure 20. Fluid line before exposure.

(a) (b) 
11

Figure 21. Fluid line following 1392 h of ASTM B 117 and following 30 cycles of GM 9540 exposure. 

Figure 22. Unidentified component B before exposure. 

Figure 23. Unidentified component B following an average of 980 h of ASTM B 117 exposure and an 

average of 61 cycles of GM 9540 exposure. 

The final category of performance included those parts that merited up to twice the “good” 

exposure time for ASTM B 117 exposures and were slightly substandard for a “good” GM 9540 

performance rating. The three parts in this category were a bracket plated with zinc-iron (part 15; 

figures 24 and 25), a similarly configured bracket plated with zinc (part 16; figures 26 and 27), 

and a fluid line (part 17; figures 28 and 29). There does not appear to be a significant difference 

between the performances of the two brackets in this group despite the different plating 

compositions. The fluid line in this group was geometrically similar to the one in the previous 

group, with the main difference being that the inner diameter of this fluid line was half that of 

part 8. This contributed to the inferior performance during the ASTM B 117 exposure.

 (a) (b) 

 (a) (b) 
12

Figure 24. Bracket coated with zinc/iron before exposure. 

Figure 25. Bracket coated with zinc/iron following 720 h of ASTM B 117 and 27 cycles of GM 

9540 exposure. 

Figure 26. Bracket coated with zinc before exposure.

 (a) (b) 
13

Figure 27. Bracket coated with zinc following exposure of 552 h in ASTM B 117 and 27 cycles in GM 9540. 

Figure 28. Fluid line before exposure. 

Figure 29. Fluid line following exposure of 720 h in ASTM B 117 

and 21 cycles in GM 9540. 

All of the parts that were exposed to either of the accelerated corrosion tests were given 

postplating treatments with TCP. In all but one case (part 9), the ASTM B 117 performance 

exceeded that which would be considered “good;” in many cases, it was significantly so. The 

same performance criterion using the GM 9540 procedure was achieved by only two-thirds of 

the parts. Of those that met the criterion, 9 of 10 greatly surpassed it. 

 (a) (b) 

 (a) (b) 
14

Of the top nine most corrosion-resistant parts, six were barrel plated. The remaining eight parts 

all were rack plated. It is not clear whether the geometry that allowed for plating solution access 

and drainage also made the parts good candidates for barrel plating or if barrel plating is 

inherently superior to rack plating. The single best overall performer in both exposures was rack 

plated. 

4. Conclusions 

Postplating treatment with TCP improves the performance of most zinc/nickel-plated 

components. Better than half of the parts exposed to ASTM B 117 survived beyond 5000 h. 

Nearly half of the parts survived beyond 400 cycles of GM 9540. 

GM 9540 seems to be a more rigorous test for screening performance. There generally was 

moderate correlation between the two accelerated corrosion tests. There were two glaring 

exceptions (parts 13 and 14) where the ASTM B 117 exposure resulted in an “exceptional” 

rating, but where the GM 9540 exposure resulted in a lower but “good” performance rating. 

Barrel-plated parts appear to perform better than rack-plated parts, although this performance 

may be due to the geometries of the parts rather than the application process.
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