You need to do the accelerated salt spray tests. This is a standardized
environment, will give nornalized results, and is the gold standard. I
don't have the good references close at hand tonight.

Michael Koblic wrote:
I am going to run a small trial of various surface coatings to assess their
ability to protect steel from corrosion (rusting). A bunch of identical
steel washers, coated on one side with the experimental substance and
uncoated on the other side as a control will be suspended in salty water for
a period of time.

It occurred to me that brine may not be the best simulation of corrosion
occurring naturally. Can anyone suggest anything else?