PREPARATION OF STEEL SUBSTRATES BEFORE APPLICATION OF COATINGS AND RELATED

MATERIALS
VISUAL ASSESSMENT OF SURFACE CLEANLINESS

Determination of the rust grades degree and preparation of uncoated steel substrates and after
complete removal of previous coatings.
Characteristics of protective coatings and similar materials which are applied on steel greatly
depend on the steel surface condition immediately before application. The main factors that affect
these characteristics are:
a) The presence of rust and mill scale;
b) The presence on surface contaminants, including salts, dust, oil and grease;
c) The surface profile.

International Standards ISO 8501, ISO 8502 and ISO 8503 were created in this case to provide
methods of assessing these factors, while ISO 8504 provides guidance on the existing methods for
cleaning steel substrates, indicating the possibility of obtaining the required levels of purity for each
method.
These International Standards do not contain recommendations for the anti-corrosion coating
on the steel surface. They also contain recommendations for the surface quality requirements for
specific situations. This factor may have a direct influence on the choice of corrosion-resistant coating
and its performance. These recommendations are contained in other documents, such as national
standards and codes of practice. Users of International Standards must ensure that these qualities
are:
- Compatible and appropriate both for the environmental conditions, which would have impact
on be exposed steel and used for anti-corrosion coating system;
- Available within the capabilities of the specified cleaning procedure.

The four above-mentioned International Standards discusses the following aspects of

preparation of steel substrates:
ISO 8501 - Visual assessment of surface cleanliness;
ISO 8502 - Tests to assess surface cleanliness;
ISO 8503 - Surface roughness characteristics of the steel substrate, treated by blasting;
ISO 8504 – Methods of surface preparation.

Each of these international standards is divided into several separate parts.

This part of ISO 8501 identifies four levels (designated as "the degree of rust grades") of mill
scale and rust that are commonly found on surfaces of uncoated steel structure and steel stock. It
also describes certain degree of visual cleanliness (designated as "preparation grades") after
preparation uncoated steel substrates and of steel substrates after overall removal of previous
coatings. These levels of visual cleanliness are associated with the general methods of surface
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treatment used before. The degree of cleaning of the surface is determined by using photos and
descriptions of typical examples.
This classification applies to hot-rolled steel surfaces prepared for painting by methods such as
blast cleaning, manual and power tools and flame cleaning, although these methods rarely lead to
comparable results. In general these methods are designed for hot-rolled steel, but also they are
allowed the use, in particular, for cold-rolled steel having a thickness sufficient that the steel could
resist deformation caused by impact of abrasive action or mechanical cleaning tool.
This part of ISO 8501 is applicable also to steel substrates with the remains of well-adhering
paint and other foreign things in addition to residual mill scale.
NOTE - The degree of preparation of previously painted steel surfaces after only localized
removal of coatings are the subject of ISO 8501-2.
In this part, the surface is associated with its appearance. In many cases, this is sufficient for
these purposes. But in the case of coatings that can be exposed to highly corrosive environments,
such as immersion and constant condensation conditions. It must be taken into account tests on
soluble salts and other invisible dirt visually on a clean surface. For this purpose, physical and
chemical methods are subject to the various parts of ISO 8502. Surface roughness characteristics
must also be taken into account, referring to ISO 8503.

Four rust grades are denoted by A, B, C and D. The degree of rust grades are defined by
descriptions and typical photo examples.

A – The steel surface is covered largely tightly adjacent mill scale, but has almost no rust.

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 B - There is a process on steel surface in which creates the rust, and which begins to lag mill
scale.

C – On that steel surface the mill scale has disappeared because of rust, or it can be removed,
but in which there is some pitting during normal viewing.

D - On that steel surface the mill scale has disappeared as a result of rust and there is a
general pitting during normal viewing.

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 DEGREES OF PREPARATION
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Here specifies the degree of steel preparation, including the method of surface preparation and
the degree of purification. The degree of preparation is defined with the help of type surface
descriptions after cleaning and typical photo examples.
Each degree of preparation is indicated by the corresponding letters, "Sa", "St", or "FI" to show
the used method of cleaning. The following number, if it present, indicates the degree of cleaning
from mill scale, rust and previous coatings.
Photos are designated with initial degree of rust to cleaning degree of preparation and marking,
for example: In Sa 2½.

Blasting, Sa
Preparation of the surface by blasting is denoted with the letters "Sa".
Before blasting it is necessary to remove thick layers of rust. Visible oil, grease, dirt must be
removed.
After blasting the surface must be clean of dirt and poorly adhering particles.
NOTE - The description of the method of surface preparation by blasting, including the handling
before and after blasting you may read in ISO 8504-2.

Sa 1 Light blasting
On the view without magnification tool the surface must be free from traces of oil, grease and
dirt, and from poorly adhering mill scale, rust, paint and debris. Watch photos B Sa 1, C Sa 1 and D Sa 1.

Sa 2 Thorough blasting
On the view without magnification tool the surface must be free from visible traces of oil,
grease and dirt, and from most of the mill scale, rust, paint and debris. Any remaining contaminants
must stick firmly. Watch photos A Sa 2, C Sa 2 and D Sa 2.

Sa 2½ Very thorough blasting

On the view without magnification tool the surface must be free from visible oil, grease and
dirt, and from mill scale, rust, paint and debris. Any remaining traces of contamination need to look
only as a slight staining in the form of spots or stripes. Watch photos A Sa 2½, B Sa 2½, Sa 2½ C and
D Sa 2½.

Sa 3 Blast cleaning to visually clean steel

On the view without magnification tool the surface must be free from visible oil, grease and
dirt, and from mill scale, rust, paint and debris. It should have a uniform metallic color. Watch photo A
Sa 3, B Sa 3, C Sa 3 and D Sa 3.

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 Cleaning with the manualand power tool, St
Preparing the surface by cleaning with the manual and power tool, such as scraping, brushing,
mechanical cleaning and polishing brush is designated by the letters “St”.
Before cleaning, it is necessary to remove all stumps with manual and power tool, thick layers
of rust. Visible traces of oil, grease and dirt must also be removed.
After cleaning, with manual and power tool the surface should be cleaned from poorly adhering
dirt and debris.

St 2 Thorough cleaning with manual and power tool

On the view without magnification tool the surface must be free from visible traces of oil,
grease, dirt, and from poorly adhering mill scale, rust, paint and debris. Watch the photos B St 2, C St
2 and D St 3.

St3 very thorough cleaning with manual and power tool

As for St 2., but the surface should be cleaned more carefully to get the metal base. Watch the
photos B St 3, C St 3 and D St 3.

Flame cleaning, FI
Surface preparation by flame cleaning is designated by letters "FI".
Flame cleaning includes final mechanical sweep brush to remove all cleaning products; manual
cleaning with a wire brush does not give a satisfactory surface for painting.
Before flame cleaning it is necessary to remove the stumps of thick layers of rust.
After flame cleaning, the surface should be cleaned mechanically with a wire brush.
On the view without magnification tools there should not be visible traces of mill scale, rust,
paint and debris on the surface. Any remaining contamination should appear only as a weak surface
staining (shades of different colors). Watch the photos A FI, B FI, C FI and D FI.

Procedure for visual assessment of steel substrates

With good diffuse daylight or equivalent artificial light it is necessary to examine the steel
surface and compare it with each of the photos without the use of magnifying instruments. For this it
is necessary to put an appropriate picture close to the steel surface and evaluated in the same plane.
To determine the degree of rust grades it must be written in accordance with the assessment of
the worst of the apparent powers. To determine the degree of preparing it is necessary to write
assessment which is appropriate the degree of short sight steel surface.
Below are photos from the A Sa 21/2 to D FI, showing the degree of preparing the surface,
received by dry blast cleaning, manual or power tool cleaning and flame cleaning. Other methods
such as wet blasting are used on surfaces that vary in form, color, and so on but these pictures can
also be used in this case to assess the degree of preparation.

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A Sa 2½

A Sa 3

B Sa 1

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B Sa 2

B Sa 2½

B Sa 3

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C Sa 1

C Sa 2

C Sa 2 ½

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C Sa 3

D Sa 1

D Sa 2

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D Sa 2½

D Sa 3

B St 2

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B St 3

C St 2

C St 3

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D St 2

D St 3

AFl

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B Fl

C Fl

D Fl