Acceleration of Device Metal Corrosion Due to Sweat and Skin Oils

Hidden Assumption

Metals in handheld devices corrode insignificantly under normal skin contact conditions.

Experimental Materials

• Metals: 316L stainless steel, aluminum 6061, copper
• Coupon size: 10 × 10 × 1 mm
• Synthetic sweat (ISO 3160-2)
• Synthetic skin oil formulation

Exposure Protocol

Daily 8-hour exposure to simulants followed by drying, repeated for 14 days under controlled temperature and humidity.

Measurements

• Mass loss (analytical balance)
• Metal ion release (ICP-MS)
• EIS and open circuit potential

Binary Falsification Threshold

The assumption fails if sweat + oil exposure does not produce a statistically significant increase in corrosion relative to controls.

Why This Matters

Results directly inform material selection and durability assumptions for consumer electronics without making health or regulatory claims.