ISO 12944 (C5-M): Corrosion resistance in marine environments

NGÀY ĐĂNG 18/09/2025

Admin

In coastal projects, seaports, chemical plants or heavy industrial areas, metal equipment and structures face a silent but dangerous enemy - corrosion caused by salt spray, humidity and chemicals in the air. After only a short time, the beautiful paint can peel off, the equipment can rust, lose its functionality and cause great damage in maintenance and replacement costs.

That is why international standards for metal surface protection such as ISO 12944, especially level C5-M (Marine), were born and are increasingly widely applied. So what is ISO 12944-C5-M? What equipment does this standard apply to? And why is it so important in projects near the sea or heavy industry? Let's find out in the article below.

What is ISO 12944?

ISO 12944 is an international standard issued by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), which guides and specifies methods for protecting metal structures against corrosion using coating systems when used in different environments.

This standard is designed to:

• Evaluate corrosive environmental conditions (from indoor to marine, heavy industry).
• Specify appropriate protective coating systems to ensure long-term service life for steel or metal structures.
• Guide the processes from design, construction, inspection, maintenance of coatings.

Structure of ISO 12944 (in several parts):

• ISO 12944-1: Introduction and overview
• ISO 12944-2: Classification of corrosive environments (C1 to CX)
• ISO 12944-3: Design of structures to prevent corrosion
• ISO 12944-4: Coating application procedures
• ISO 12944-5: Selection of suitable coating systems
• ISO 12944-6: Testing methods for durability of coatings
• ISO 12944-7: Preparation of metal surfaces before painting
• ISO 12944-8: Classification based on expected life (High/Medium/Low durability)
• ISO 12944-9: Protection in offshore environments (offshore – CX)

Environmental levels in ISO 12944

• C1: Dry indoor environment.
• C3: Light industrial urban environment.
• C4: Industrial environment, near the sea.
• C5-M (Marine): Coastal environment with high humidity, high salt content.
• CX: Extremely harsh (offshore, chemical plant, etc.).

Each level indicates the harshness of the environment that the equipment will have to endure.

From there, choose the corresponding coating system or protective material to:

• Long-term rust protection (5–25 years or more)
• Reduce maintenance costs
• Ensure operational safety, aesthetics, and longevity

Notes when applying:

• Level C5-M or higher is very important for outdoor equipment installed in coastal areas, islands, ports, or chemical plants.
• Equipment such as surveillance cameras, outdoor electrical cabinets, steel pillars, energy equipment, etc. should meet standards appropriate to the actual environmental level.
• Combine ISO 12944 with other standards such as:
  • ASTM B117 (Salt Fog Test)
  • IP66/67 (water and dust proof)
  • FIPS, NDAA, IK10 (security, anti-vandalism) if used in security and defense projects.

What equipment does ISO 12944-C5-M apply to?

Outdoor surveillance cameras

• Installation in areas near the sea, wharves, coastal resorts
• Housing must be coated with epoxy/polyurethane paint or made of 316L stainless steel
• Example: i-PRO AI outdoor series camera, housing meets salt corrosion standards

Outdoor electrical cabinets, control cabinets

• Used for solar power systems, telecommunications, industrial control
• Requires special coating or composite materials, anodized aluminum
• Applications in coastal energy projects, chemical plants

Telecommunications equipment, BTS stations in coastal areas

• Antenna poles, metal brackets, transmitter/receiver housings
• Need protection from salt mist, metal oxidation, rapid rust

Steel structures, railings, coastal street lamp posts

• Vulnerable to salt and moisture corrosion
• Requires multi-layer painting system according to ISO 12944-5 guidelines

Energy systems (wind power, solar power)

• Wind turbine towers, solar panel racks installed near marine
• Requires C5-M coating or anti-corrosion composite/stainless steel material

Marine & port equipment

• Control boxes, cables, ship control equipment housings, meteorological sensors
• Extremely corrosive environments, often combined with C5-M + CX special surface treatment, long-term corrosion resistance

Used in airports, ports and heavy industrial areas

Notes on C5-M standard on i-PRO cameras

Some Panasonic cameras/i-PRO cameras do not specify “C5-M” in any datasheet, but many models have:

Housing meets IP66/IK10

• Corrosion resistance tested Salt Fog Test ≥ 720h – 1000h (ASTM B117)
• Coating materials/specialized aluminum complying with ISO 12944
• These characteristics are equivalent to or exceed the requirements of ISO 12944-C5-M

Suggested cameras that meet C5-M standards

i-PRO WV-S15500-V3LK (AI Camera - Outdoor Bullet)

• Housing material: Multi-layer painted aluminum, anti-corrosion, IP66/IP67, IK10
• Marine environment resistance: Coating according to C5-M standards (according to ISO 12944)
• Features: AI-based analytics, anti-vandalism, anti-corrosion, color night vision
• Security certification: FIPS 140-2 Level 3, NDAA compliant
• Application: Security camera for ports, coastal factories, wet industrial areas

i-PRO WV-S15700-V3LN / WV-S15300-V3LN

• Bullet type, integrated AI, anti-corrosion housing
• Epoxy/polyurethane coated housing, suitable for high-corrosion environment standards
• IP67, anti-vandalism IK10, support 24/7 outdoor operation
• Suitable for installation in areas with salt fog, sea vapor, strong wind and rain

i-PRO WV-X15501-Z1LN (AI Zoom 10x, Outdoor)

• Specialized for areas with high corrosion
• Housing with special anti-rust coated materials
• 10x optical zoom, strong IR, absolutely waterproof/dustproof
• Passed Salt Fog Test according to ASTM B117 ≥ 1000 hours, equivalent to C5-M protection

i-PRO outdoor PTZ anti-corrosion - X65300NZ / X65500NZ series

• High-speed PTZ, used for transportation, seaports
• Specially treated outer shell, long-term corrosion resistance
• Used in airports, ports and heavy industrial areas
• Notes on C5-M standard on i-PRO cameras
• Some Panasonic cameras/i-PRO cameras do not specify “C5-M” in every datasheet, but many model has:

Housing meets IP66/IK10

• Corrosion resistance tested Salt Fog Test ≥ 720h – 1000h (ASTM B117)
• Coating material/specialized aluminum conforming to ISO 12944
• These characteristics are equivalent to or exceed the requirements of ISO 12944-C5-M