QUIZ # 1 – ANSWERS:

1. List 5 duties of a paint inspector.

The main duties of a paint inspector are:

To carry out quality control.

To organise his own work.
To report findings.
To advise on matters related to the work in hand.
To maintain his instruments and other aids.
To keep updated on topics related to surface preparation.

2. What is the difference between STEEL PREPARATION and SURFACE PREPARATION?

STEEL PREPARATION includes all actions taken to prepare the steel for surface
preparation, such as:

Removing laminations, weld sputter and welding slag.

Welding pores and pits.
Chamfering sharp edges.
Enlarging scuppers (when necessary).

Removal of oil and grease, water soluble substances, dust and other foreign material from the
substrate. (It can be debated that this point is surface preparation and not steel preparation,
however, I have chosen to include it in steel preparation).

SURFACE PREPARATION includes all actions taken to prepare the surface for application
of paint, such as:

Scraping, wire brushing, grinding and other manual methods.

Abrasive blast cleaning, including wet blasting and slurry blasting.
Flame cleaning.
Water jetting.
Acid pickling.

3. Various types of surface contaminants are frequently found on surfaces to be painted.

a) Please list minimum five of these types of contaminants.

a. Five types of surface contaminants:

Oil/grease
Silicone
Water soluble substances (chlorides, sulphates, iron salts)
Dust/dirt
Spent abrasive
Rust
Water/condensation

b) How would you check a surface to be blasted in order to determine if the surface is
contaminated with oil/grease?

b. Sprinkle water onto the surface suspected to be contaminated with oil. If the water
collects into droplets instead of spreading out to wet the surface, it is highly certain that
the surface is contaminated with oil. This is called “Water-on-the goose” method.

4. An abrasive blast cleaned steel surface to be immersed in sea water is contaminated with sodium
chloride (NaCl) in excess of 200 mg/m 2. The surface is coated with an epoxy mastic coating
system (3 x 100 µm). Upon immersion in water, blistering will start after a period of time.
 a) Would you assume that the size of the blisters would be greater in fresh water than in sea water,
or would you assume the opposite? Please state your reasons.

Salt contamination:

a. The blisters would be larger in fresh water due to the lower level of salts in the
fresh water as compared to the sea water. The concentration difference between the salt
contamination under the paint film and the salt concentration in the water is thus greater
and more water molecules will pass through the paint film (the membrane) to dilute the
underfilm salts until the same salt concentration is reached on both sides of the paint film
(the membrane).

b) What do we call this type of blistering?

b. We call this osmotic blistering.

5. Blasting abrasives are commonly classified into four main groups.

a) Please name at least three of these four main classification groups.

b) Please name at least two examples of abrasives from each of the classification groups listed
under a) above.

Blasting abrasives:

a. Metallic, mineral (natural minerals and synthetic minerals [slags], organic

b. Metallic: steel grit/shot, chilled iron grit/shot, bronze shot
Mineral: garnet, olivine, copper slag, iron furnace slag, aluminium oxide
Organic: ground walnut shells, ground cherry stones, polyethylene beads

6. Blasting abrasives may sometimes be contaminated and the two most common contaminants are
oil/grease and water soluble substances. Please describe the method and procedure for checking
blasting abrasives for determination of contamination with:

a) Oil/grease
b) Water soluble substances

The compressed air used for blasting may also be contaminated with water and/or oil.

c) Please describe the method by which the compressed air may be checked for content of water
and oil

Checking abrasives for contaminants:

a. Place one part abrasive and two parts of a strong, water clear and water coloured
solvent into a suitable container (preferably one with a lid). Shake the container for five
minutes and then let it stand for one hour. Shake the container once more and let it stand
for ten minutes. Observe the solvent to see if there has been any colour change. Observe
the surface of the solvent to see if there is an oil shimmer on the surface. If there is a
colour change or surface shimmer, there is oil or grease contamination of the abrasive.

b. Place one part abrasive and four parts of deionised (or distilled) water into a
suitable container (preferably one with a lid). The container must be washed with
deionised (or distilled) water first and the conductivity of the deionised (distilled) water
measured prior to the testing. Shake the container for five minutes and then let it stand
for one hour. Shake the container once more and let it stand for ten minutes. Decant the
water into another cleaned container and measure the conductivity. Any significant rise
in the conductivity indicates presence of water soluble substances in the abrasive. Please
also note that ISO 11124 – 11127 stipulates a maximum level of conductivity set at 250
µS/cm.
 c. Hold a white paper in front of the air stream (without abrasive). If spots appear on
the paper there is water and/or oil in the air. If the spots dry up and leave no
discolouration on the paper, it is water. If the spots do not dry, and/or leave
discolouration on the paper, it is oil.

7. Abrasive blast cleaning of steel surfaces are carried out in accordance with internationally accepted
standards. Please name (by designation and number) the standards used for:

a) Determination of metal cleanliness

b) Determination of metal roughness

The standards are:

a. ISO 8501-1, ISO 8501-2, SSPC-SP VIS-4, JSRA

b. ISO 8503

8. Various types of abrasives are used for different purposes. Name the abrasive type(s) most suited
for:

a) Blast cleaning of stainless steels

b) Centrifugal blast cleaning of steel profiles

The most suited abrasives are:

a. For stainless steel: The abrasive have to be non-metallic. Natural non-metallic
abrasives like olivine, garnet etc are the best suited ones, however, synthetic non-metallic
abrasives like, e.g. copper slag may also be used.
b. For centrifugal blast cleaning: metallic abrasives like steel grit/shot and wire cut.

COPYRIGHT  pH VALUE a.s. 10/2003