The Kesternich test is based on the water condensation (Constant Humidity) corrosion test. At the beginning of the test 2 L sulphur dixoid is introduced into a test chamber having a volume of 300 L. The gas dosing is done manually with a special apparatus in which the paraffin oil is displaced by the SO2 gas or automatically with an electronic mass flow meter. The water in the test room must be refreshed after each test cycle.
The Kesternich test gains on popularity due to the fact that the atmosphere in many industrialized countries is increasingly poluted with this gas.