Introduction to Protective Coating
Surface Preparation
Prepared by : Tri Wahono
Version : July 2023
Content of Presentation
▪ Environmental Control and Inspection : “Rule of Thumb”
▪ Surface preparation, equipment and inspection equipment
Surface Preparation (internal use only) 2
Environmental Control and Inspection : “Rule of Thumb”
❑ Surface Temperature greater 3 deg C than Dew Point
❑ Surface Temperature ( 50 - 50oC) - ASTM D3276
❑ Relative Humidity ( max 85%) - ASTM E337-02
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Surface Preparation, Equipment and Inspection
Initial Steel Condition
New Construction Rust Grade
A - Steel surface covered completely with adherent mill scale, little or no rust residue
B - Steel surface covered with both mill scale and rust
C - Steel surface covered with rust, little or no pitting visible
D - Steel surface completely covered with rust, pitting visible
Maintenance Condition
E - Light-colored paint applied over a blast cleaned surface, paint mostly intact
F - Zinc-rich paint applied over blast cleaned steel, paint mostly intact
G - Painting system applied over mill scale bearing steel; system thoroughly weathered,
thoroughly blistered, or thoroughly stained
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Surface Preparation, Equipment and Inspection
Many factors in surface preparation affect the life of a coating, including:
❑ Oil/Grease: Reduce free energy of surface to below the free energy of the coating resulting on no
displacement of the oil.
❑ Rust: Iron and steel corrosion products –Iron oxide, Iron Chloride, Iron Sulphate powdery loose deposits.
❑ Soluble Salt : Chloride, Sulphates, Dried sea salt residues.
❑ Dust / Dirt / Soil : Air-borne deposits, blast cleaning operation, etc.
❑ Water; Condensation (dew point), rain water, humidity
❑ Mill scale : mixed surface oxides, magnetite Cathodic to steel, instigates corrosion
❑ Rust Inhibitors ; water soluble inhibitors, My cause blistering of the coating by osmosis if not correctly remove
❑ Old loose coating : poorly adhere existing coatings
❑ Sharp ridges, edge, burrs, cuts from mechanical cleaning equipment can prevent adequate DFT
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Surface Preparation, Equipment and Inspection
Surface profile – importance
Surface profile allow the painting system into the metal substrate.
For good primer adhesion, good surface profile is needed.
The paint formulators take into account the following:
❑ The viscosity of the primer (filling of the contact surface)
❑ Amount of polar group to come into contact with metal surface
❑ The mechanical anchor or tooth which facilities adhesion of the primer
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Surface Preparation, Equipment and Inspection
Roughness profile
The abrasive blasting of the metal surface is a must:
❑ Surface cleanliness : a minimum of Sa 2 ½
❑ A surface profile of 50 to 80 microns is necessary for
good adhesion of the primer
The surface roughness specified in the paint
specification is generally “Total Roughness" which is the
peak to valley height:
Rt = Z max – Z min
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Surface Preparation, Equipment and Inspection
Two important aspect:
❑ Removal of contaminants
❑ Obtaining of the required surface profile
All rough edge cuts and welds, weld spatters and
indentations, protrusion must be ground to smooth out the
contour before surface preparation for painting
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Surface Preparation, Equipment and Inspection
Surface cleaning is used to remove all contaminants from the metal
surface by mechanical and/or solvent cleaning:
Main contaminants:
❑ Oils, grease
❑ dirt, weld spatter
❑ Alkaline residue
❑ Rust, mill scale
❑ Water
❑ Salts such as chloride and sulphides
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Surface Preparation, Equipment and Inspection
Cleaning process
❑ Vapor degreasing (oil, grease, soluble soil from crevices)
❑ Solvent cleaning (oil and grease)
❑ Acid cleaning (soil and rust) – generally phosphoric acid + organic solvents +
detergent and wetting agents
❑ Pickling (rust, mill scale and soil) – inhibited sulphuric or hydrochloric acid
❑ Alkaline cleaning (oil, grease, silicones, paraffin, chlorinated oils, etc.)
❑ Abrasive blast cleaning (rust and scale)
❑ Brush (rust and scale)
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Surface Preparation, Equipment and Inspection
Solvent Cleaning
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Surface Preparation, Equipment and Inspection
Hand Tooling Cleaning
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Surface Preparation, Equipment and Inspection
Power Tooling Cleaning
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Surface Preparation, Equipment and Inspection
Dry Abrasive Blast Cleaning
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Surface Preparation, Equipment and Inspection
Commonly used abrasives include:
• Steel grit angular metallic particles with high cutting power (crushed, hardened cast
steel shot). The velocity and the screen distribution control the surface finish.
• Steel shot same material as grit but in the form of spherical particles or aluminium or
cut steel wire. It is used removing sand, scale and on the surface
contaminant
• Sand sand (general term used for natural minerals such as garnet, dolomite etc.
or manufactured materials such as aluminium oxide, silicon carbide and
slug) is used when surface to be painted needs to be protected from metallic
contamination (stainless stel)
• sponge sponge containing natural minerals. Used for maintenance works (no dust,
no spark)
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Surface Preparation, Equipment and Inspection
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Surface Preparation, Equipment and Inspection
• Cleanliness Copper (Cu)
• Surface Profile
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Surface Preparation, Equipment and Inspection
Water Jetting
and
Hydroblasting
Water Jetting uses water only, without the addition
of solid particles, with operating pressure up to
414 Mpa (60,00 psig).
Waterjetting is effective for removing:
• Surface oil and grease
• Rust
• Concrete spatter
• Existing coatings
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Surface Preparation, Equipment and Inspection
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Surface Preparation, Equipment and Inspection
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