Laserfiche WebLink
J <br />A. Appendix <br />A.1 FUNCTION — White Metal Blast Cleaning (SSPC- <br />P 5) provides a greater degree of cleaning than Near - <br />White Blast Cleaning (SSPC-SP 10). It should be used <br />where the highest degree of blast cleaning is required. The <br />primary functions of blast cleaning before painting are: (a) <br />to remove material from the surface that can cause early <br />failure of the coating system, and (b) to obtain a suitable <br />surface roughness. <br />A.2 ABRASIVE SELECTION — Types of metallic and <br />non-metallic abrasives are discussed in the Surface <br />Preparation Commentary (SSPC-SP COM). It is important <br />to recognize that blasting abrasives may become embed- <br />ded in or leave residues on the surface of the steel during <br />preparation. While normally such embedment or residues <br />are not detrimental, care should be taken (particularly if <br />the prepared steel is to be used in an immersion environ- <br />ment) to assure that the abrasive is free from detrimental <br />amounts of water soluble, solvent soluble, acid soluble, or <br />other such soluble materials. <br />A.3 SURFACE PROFILE — Surface profile is the <br />roughness of the surface which results from abrasive blast <br />cleaning. The profile depth (or height) is dependent upon <br />the size, type, and hardness of the abrasive, particle veloci- <br />ty and angle of impact, hardness of the surface, amount of <br />recycling, and the proper maintenance of working mixtures <br />0 grit and/or shot. <br />The allowable minimum/maximum height of profile is <br />usually dependent upon the thickness of the paint to be <br />applied. Large particle sized abrasives (particularly <br />metallic) can produce a profile which may be too deep to <br />be adequately covered by a single thin film coat. Accord- <br />ingly, it is recommended that the use of larger abrasives be <br />avoided in these cases. However, larger abrasives may be <br />needed for thick film coatings or to facilitate removal of <br />heavy mill scale or rust. if control of profile (min- <br />imum/maximum) is deemed to be significant to coatings <br />performance, it should be addressed in the procurement <br />documents (project specification). <br />Typical maximum profile heights achieved with com- <br />mercial abrasive media are shown in Table 8 of the Surface <br />Preparation Commentary (SSPC-SP COM). Methods (i.e., <br />comparators, replica tape, depth micrometers) are <br />available to aid in estimating the profile of surfaces blast <br />cleaned with sand, steel grit, and steel shot. <br />A.4 VISUAL STANDARDS — Note that the use of <br />visual standards in conjunction with this specification is <br />required only when they are specified in the procurement <br />documents (project specification) covering the work. It is <br />recommended, however, that the use of visual standards <br />be made mandatory in the procurement documents (proj- <br />ect specification) <br />is <br />toSSPC-SP 5 <br />March 1, 1985 <br />SSPC-Vis 1, "Pictorial Surface Preparation Standards <br />for Painting Steel Surfaces," provides color photographs <br />for the various grades of surface preparation as a function <br />of the initial condition of the steel. The following table lists <br />the pictorial standards for this specification that are ap- <br />plicable to the rust grades given. <br />Adherent Mill Rusting Mill Pitted and <br />Rust Grade Scale Scale Rusted Rusted <br />Pictorial <br />Standards A Sa 3 B Sa 3 C Sa 3 D Sa 3 <br />Many other visual standards are available and are <br />described in Section 7 of the Commentary (SSPC-SP COM). <br />A.5 SURFACE IMPERFECTIONS — Surface imperfec- <br />tions can cause premature failure when the service is <br />severe. Coatings tend to pull away from sharp edges and <br />projections, leaving little or no coating to protect the <br />underlying steel. Other features which are difficult to prop- <br />erly cover and protect include crevices, weld porosity, <br />laminations, etc. The high cost of the methods to remedy <br />the surface imperfections requires weighing the benefits <br />of edge rounding, weld spatter removal, etc., versus a <br />potential coating failure. <br />Poorly adhering contaminants, such as weld slag <br />residues, loose weld spatter, and some minor surface <br />laminations, may be removed during the blast cleaning <br />operation. Other surface defects (steel laminations, weld <br />porosities, or deep corrosion pits) may not be evident until <br />the surface preparation has been completed. Therefore, <br />proper planning for such surface repair work is essential <br />since the timing of the repairs may occur before, during, or <br />after the blast cleaning operation. Section 4 of the Com- <br />mentary (SSPC-SP COM) contains additional information <br />on surface imperfections. <br />A.6 CHEMICAL CONTAMINATION — Steel contam- <br />inated with soluble salts (i.e., chlorides and sulfates) <br />develops rust -back rapidly at intermediate and high <br />humidities. These soluble salts can be present on the steel <br />surface prior to blast cleaning as a result of atmospheric <br />contamination. In addition, contaminants can be de- <br />posited on the steel surface during blast cleaning <br />whenever the abrasive is contaminated. Therefore, rust - <br />back can be minimized by removing these salts from the <br />steel surface, preferably before blast cleaning, and <br />eliminating sources of recontamination during and after <br />blast cleaning. Identification of the contaminants along <br />with their concentrations may be obtained from laboratory <br />and field tests. A number of tests for soluble salts are now <br />under study by the SSPC, ASTM, Maritime Administration, <br />and ISO. <br />A.7 RUST -BACK — Rust -back (rerusting) occurs when <br />freshly cleaned steel is exposed to conditions of high <br />41 <br />