Two types of laboratory tests were used to evaluate the behaviour of a wide range of steels in chlorinating–sulphidising conditions: high temperature exposure after applying salt by dipping in an aqueous KCl/ZnCl2 solution and salt-bed test in a ZnCl2/NaCl/KCl/CaSO4 salt mixture. The exposures were performed at 500 °C in a gas comprising N2/HCl/SO2/O2/N2. For the alloy group with 20–30 wt-% chromium and 25–65 wt-% nickel, the extrapolated metal loss was below 0.2 mm/year in the salt dip, up to 6 mm/year in the salt-bed test with 10% Cl and up to 20 mm/year in the 20% Cl salt-bed test. The intermediate alloy group showed poorer performance in the salt-bed; Esshete1250 showed also large spallation in the salt dip test. Results were compared with plant-exposed samples. Further refinement of the salt dip test is suggested for material ranking in the superheater region of a waste or biomass-fired incinerator. © 2016 Swerea Kimab.