The protection afforded by organic coatings against corrosion for metallic structures is
influenced by the ability of the coating to reduce the transport of water, ions, and oxygen from the
environment to the substrate. The majority of protective organic coatings are two-layered with the
topcoat as the barrier against the environment and the basecoat/primer providing adhesion between the
topcoat and the substrate. Primers can also provide additional protection through the use of galvanic
(zinc rich primers) or passivating (chromate primers) inhibitors. A standard testing method for coating
systems is the QUV/Prohesion test. This test is a modification of the salt spray test and simulates
weathering conditions. It involves alternating weekly between Prohesion and QUV exposures. The
former includes a fog step of 1 hour salt spray at 25 oC and a dry step of 1 hour hot air at 35 oC. The
latter involves 4 hours of UV light at 60 oC and 4 hours of condensation at 50 oC.