Materials System Specification

09-SAMSS-087
27 March 2012
Qualification Requirements for Epoxy
Coatings for Application on Damp Steel Surfaces
Document Responsibility: Paints and Coatings Standards Committee

Saudi Aramco DeskTop Standards

Table of Contents
1

Scope.......................................................... 2

Conflicts and Deviations............................. 2

References................................................. 3

General Requirements................................ 4

Qualification Tests and Requirements........... 4

Method of Packaging...................................... 7

Previous Issue: 28 September 2011 Next Planned Update: 27 March 2017

Revised paragraphs are indicated in the right margin
Primary contact: Mansour, Mana Hamad on 966-3-880-9557
CopyrightSaudi Aramco 2012. All rights reserved.

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Document Responsibility: Paints and Coatings Standards Committee

09-SAMSS-087
Issue Date: 27 March 2012
Qualification Requirements for Epoxy
Next Planned Update: 27 March 2017
Coatings for Application on Damp Steel Surfaces

Scope
This Specification defines the minimum mandatory requirements for qualifying
individual coating products for use in Saudi Aramco's approved protective coating
system APCS-22. It shall be used when any of the following situations occur:
1.1

Initial Product Approval

This specification shall be given to coating manufacturers, or other vendors of
coating products, that wish to obtain initial approval for products that have not
previously been qualified in accordance with this specification.

1.2

Purchase Requisitions/Purchase Orders

This specification shall be attached to Purchase Requisitions or Purchase Orders
when those documents address the procurement of coating products that have
not been previously qualified in accordance with this specification.
Exception:
This specification does not apply and should not be included with Purchase
orders or requisitions for coating products that have been previously qualified per
this specification. This specification should also not be included with purchase
orders or requisitions for coated items or equipment when a Saudi Aramco
approved protective coating system has been specified.

1.3

Periodic Product Compliance Checks

This specification may be used for periodic product compliance checks on
previously approved coatings. It shall be given to the organization conducting
the compliance tests.

Conflicts and Deviations

2.1

Any conflicts between this specification and other applicable Saudi Aramco
Materials System Specifications (SAMSSs), Engineering Standards (SAESs),
Standard Drawings (SASDs), or industry standards, codes, and forms shall be
resolved in writing by the Company or Buyer Representative through the
Manager, Consulting Services Department, of Saudi Aramco, Dhahran.

2.2

Direct all requests to deviate from this specification in writing to the Company or
Buyer Representative, who shall follow internal company procedure SAEP-302
and forward such requests to the Manager, Consulting Services Department of
Saudi Aramco, Dhahran.

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Document Responsibility: Paints and Coatings Standards Committee

09-SAMSS-087
Issue Date: 27 March 2012
Qualification Requirements for Epoxy
Next Planned Update: 27 March 2017
Coatings for Application on Damp Steel Surfaces

References
Material or equipment supplied to this specification shall comply with the latest edition
of the references listed below unless otherwise noted:
3.1

Saudi Aramco References

Saudi Aramco Engineering Procedure
SAEP-302

Instructions for Obtaining a Waiver of a Mandatory

Saudi Aramco Engineering Requirement

Saudi Aramco Materials System Specification

09-SAMSS-060

Packaging Requirements for Coatings

Saudi Aramco Engineering Standard

SAES-H-001

3.2

APCS-22 Epoxy Coating for Application onto Damp

Steel Surfaces (Self-Priming or with Epoxy
Primer)

Industry Codes and Standards

American Society for Testing and Materials
ASTM B117

Salt Spray (Fog) Testing

ASTM D610

Evaluating Degree of Rusting on Painted Steel

Surfaces

ASTM D660

Evaluating Degree of Checking of Exterior Paints

ASTM D661

Evaluating Degree of Cracking of Exterior paints

ASTM D714

Evaluating Degree of Blistering of Paints

ASTM D822

Operating Light-and-Water Exposure Apparatus

(Carbon-Arc Type) for Testing Paint, Varnish,
Lacquer, and Related Products

ASTM D1193

Reagent Grade Water

ASTM D1640

Drying, Curing or Film Formation of Organic

Coatings at Room Temperature

ASTM D1654

Methods for Evaluation of Painted or Coated

Specimens Subjected to Corrosive Environments

ASTM D1849

Package Stability of Paint

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Document Responsibility: Paints and Coatings Standards Committee

09-SAMSS-087
Issue Date: 27 March 2012
Qualification Requirements for Epoxy
Next Planned Update: 27 March 2017
Coatings for Application on Damp Steel Surfaces

ASTM G26

Operating Light-Exposure Apparatus (Xenon Arc

Type) with and without Water for Exposure of
Nonmetallic Material

Society for Protective Coatings

SSPC PA2

Measurement of Dry Paint Thickness with Magnetic

Gages

SSPC SP10 (SIS Sa 2 1/2)

SSPC VIS 1

Near White Blast Cleaning

Pictorial Surface Preparation Standards for

Painting Steel Surfaces

International Standards Organization

ISO 2815
4

Buchholz Indentation Hardness Test

General Requirements
4.1

For purposes of this specification the Buyer's Representative shall be the

Responsible Standardization Agency Representative (RSA).

4.2

In order to qualify a coating system as acceptable under this specification, the

coating supplier shall submit a certified test report documenting that the
proposed coating system meets the qualification tests and requirements of this
SAMSS. Preparation and testing shall be performed and/or witnessed by an
independent laboratory or inspection agency. This report shall be submitted to
the Saudi Aramco RSA for review. The RSA shall decide if the data presented
by the Supplier satisfies all the requirements.

4.3

All initial product qualification tests shall be carried out at no cost to Saudi
Aramco.

Qualification Tests and Requirements

5.1

Physical Property Tests

5.1.1

Package Stability of Paint

When stored at 52 1C for 6 months in accordance with ASTM D1849,
the sample shall meet the following requirements:
a)

weight loss - 0

b)

skinning, pressure and corrosion - 10

c)

settling - 6 or better

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Document Responsibility: Paints and Coatings Standards Committee

09-SAMSS-087
Issue Date: 27 March 2012
Qualification Requirements for Epoxy
Next Planned Update: 27 March 2017
Coatings for Application on Damp Steel Surfaces

d)
5.1.2

grains, lumps, or streaks - 8 or better

Spray Properties
The ready mixed primer and topcoat shall be easily applied in one coat to
a vertical surface at a dry film thickness of at least 200 micrometers
(8 mils) with no tendency to orange peel, sag, creep or run.

5.1.3

Drying Times
When tested in accordance with ASTM D1640, the Dry-Through (or
Dry-To-Handle) Time shall be two hours or less and the Dry-To-Recoat
Time shall not exceed 10 hours at 10C.

5.1.4

Usable Potlife
At 40C, the viscosity of the ready-mixed paint shall remain within the
range recommended by the manufacturer for sprayability without
additional thinning for not less than 1 hour.

5.1.5

Adhesion Test
a)

Prepare test panels as in paragraph 5.2 except for curing which

shall be as shown in Table 1.
Table 1

b)

5.1.6

Coating

Substrate

Drying Times at
25 1C

Primer

Damp Steel

72 hours

Topcoat

Damp Primer

Seven days

Determine the adhesion of the prime coat to the substrate, intercoat

adhesion, or cohesion of any coat of the painting system by using
an adhesion tester, 450 kg capacity. Lightly sand the coated
surface and aluminum dolly and apply an epoxy adhesive. Allow
the adhesive to cure as directed by the adhesive supplier. Scribe
the coating and adhesive around the dolly prior to testing. Make a
minimum of three trials and report the average. The average shall
be at least 2750 kPa (400 psi).

Indentation Hardness Test

Using the draw down application method, apply one coat of top coat to a
polished metal or glass panel. Dry film thickness shall be in the range
125-175 micrometers. Allow the coating to cure for 7 days at 20C.
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Document Responsibility: Paints and Coatings Standards Committee

09-SAMSS-087
Issue Date: 27 March 2012
Qualification Requirements for Epoxy
Next Planned Update: 27 March 2017
Coatings for Application on Damp Steel Surfaces

Perform the Buchholz hardness test in accordance with ISO 2815.

The minimum acceptable reading shall be 60.
5.2

5.3

Test Panel Preparation

5.2.1

Test panels shall be ASTM A36 hot rolled steel approximately 100 mm
X 150 mm. Prior to preparing the surface, the condition of the test panel
shall be equivalent to SSPC VIS 1 Rust Grade A, Adherent Mill Scale.
The minimum thickness of the test panel shall be 5 mm.

5.2.2

Abrasive blast the test panels to meet (but not exceed) the cleanliness
requirements of Near White Metal Blast, SSPC SP10 (SIS Sa 2 1/2).

5.2.3

The profile of the blasted surface shall be 40-75 micrometers

(1.5 - 3 mils) and shall be determined with replica tape.

5.2.4

Immediately prior to each coatings application, spray a light mist of

ASTM D1193 Grade water onto the surface to be coated. The surface
shall be visually damp but shall not have a water sheen.

5.2.5

Mix and apply the coatings in accordance with Vendor's

recommendations. Cure the coatings for seven days at a temperature of
32 1C and 95-100% relative humidity. Dry film thickness shall be
measured and recorded in accordance with SSPC PA2, and shall meet
the following requirements:
-

Each coat

200 micrometers (8 mils) maximum

Total system :

300 - 400 micrometers (12-16 mils)

Performance Tests
5.3.1

Prepare two panels in accordance with paragraph 5.2 and scribe each
panel in accordance with ASTM D1654. Expose panels alternately in a
Weather-O-Meter in accordance with ASTM D822, Procedure B or in
accordance with ASTM G26, method B, and a salt fog cabinet in
accordance with ASTM B117, Salt Spray (Fog) Testing. Place the
panels in the Weather-O-Meter for 100 hours and in the Salt Fog for
200 hours. Continue testing until a total of 500 hours in the Weather-OMeter and 1000 hours in the Salt Fog has been achieved. At the
conclusion of the test, each coating will be evaluated for and meet the
criteria found in Table 2.

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Document Responsibility: Paints and Coatings Standards Committee

09-SAMSS-087
Issue Date: 27 March 2012
Qualification Requirements for Epoxy
Next Planned Update: 27 March 2017
Coatings for Application on Damp Steel Surfaces

Table 2
Standard

5.3.2

Acceptable Rating

ASTM D714

Evaluating Degree of
Blistering of Paints

No blisters

ASTM D660

Evaluating Degree of
Checking of Exterior Paints

No checking

ASTM D661

Evaluating Degree of
Cracking of Exterior Paints

No cracking

ASTM D610

Evaluating Degree of Rusting

on Painted Steel Surfaces

9 or better

ASTM D1654

Standard Evaluation of
Painted or Coated Specimens
Subjected to Corrosive
Environments

Rating of Failure at
Scribe shall be 9 or
better

Maximum Service Temperature

The maximum service temperature of the coating system shall be at least
150C. To verify compliance with this requirement, conduct adhesion
tests on coated panels that have been prepared in accordance with
paragraph 5.1.5 and then exposed in an oven for 14 days at 150C.
The adhesion shall be at least 90% of that obtained on samples prepared
and tested in accordance with paragraph 5.1.5 but not subsequently
exposed in an oven.

Method of Packaging
Coatings shall be packaged in accordance with 09-SAMSS-060.

27 March 2012

Revision Summary
Revised the "Next Planned Update". Reaffirmed the contents of the document, and reissued
with editorial revision to removed SAES-H-101 and replaced with SAES-H-001.

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