Method 610 provides an assessment of the Red Plague corrosion potential of an insulated conductor in the presence of liquid water. The electrical current generated by the Red Plague mechanism is recorded to monitor the progress of the corrosion mechanism.
The test specimen consists of not less than 40 grams of wire cut flush on both ends. The specimen is placed in a polystyrene jar with copper and silver coupons, and a 10 KΩ resistor is used with a multichannel data logger to record electrical current over the test period. A conductivity meter monitors the water quality throughout the test.
After test completion, the level of corrosion is verified by stripping the insulation to view cuprous oxide deposits (Red Plague) on the conductor surface. The insulated conductor can also be cross-sectioned to view the cuprous oxide deposits and the corrosion pits in the conductor core.