BRITISH STANDARD AUTOMOBILE SERIES BS AU

148-11:1969

Methods of test for

motor vehicle paints —
Part 11: Resistance to blistering

UDC 629.113:667.613.72:620.191.34
BS AU 148-11:1969

This British Standard, having

been approved by the Automobile
Industry Standards Committee,
was published under the
authority of the Executive Amendments issued since publication
Board of the Institution on
31 March 1969
Amd. No. Date Comments
© BSI 02-2000

The following BSI reference

relates to the work on this
standard:
Committee reference AUE/-

ISBN 0 580 05318 0

 BS AU 148-11:1969

Contents

Page
Foreword ii
1 Scope 1
2 Test panels 1
3 Test methods 1
4 Evaluation of results 2
Figure 1 — Blister size No. 2 3
Figure 2 — Blister size No. 2 4
Figure 3 — Blister size No. 4 5
Figure 4 — Blister size No. 4 6
Figure 5 — Blister size No. 6 7
Figure 6 — Blister size No. 6 8
Figure 7 — Blister size No. 8 9
Figure 8 — Blister size No. 8 10

© BSI 02-2000 i
BS AU 148-11:1969

Foreword

This Part of this British Standard has been prepared under the authority of the
Automobile Industry Standards Committee and is based on Information Sheets
Nos. 57 and 144 of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders Ltd. (SMMT).
Tests for paints for general purposes are given in BS 39001) and, wherever
possible, reference to that standard has been made.
A British Standard does not purport to include all the necessary provisions of a
contract. Users of British Standards are responsible for their correct application.

Compliance with a British Standard does not of itself confer immunity

from legal obligations.

Summary of pages
This document comprises a front cover, an inside front cover, pages i and ii,
pages 1 to 10 and a back cover.
This standard has been updated (see copyright date) and may have had
amendments incorporated. This will be indicated in the amendment table on the
inside front cover.

1)
BS 3900, “Methods of tests for paints”,
Part A3, “Preparation of panels prior to painting”,
Part A4, “Notes for guidance on paint application”,
Part F2, “Resistance to humidity under condensation conditions”.

ii © BSI 02-2000

1 Scope
This Part of this British Standard specifies methods
used for testing the resistance to blistering of paints
for motor vehicles.
2 Test panels
For Tests 1, 2 and 3, test panels shall
be 150 mm × 100 mm or other convenient size,
specified and pretreated in accordance with the
requirements of BS 3900-A32) (note particularly
Clause 2.2) and shall be coated in accordance with
the requirements of BS 3900-A42), with the paint
system to be tested. Normally steel panels are used
but it may be appropriate to use other substrates.
The panels shall be aged, under normal laboratory
conditions, for 7 days unless otherwise agreed.
3 Test methods
3.1 Test 1. Humidity cabinet, cycling. The
humidity cabinet cycling test is intended to provide
information regarding the behaviour of a paint film
or paint system under conditions of deliberately
induced condensation.
The method employed and the apparatus used shall
be that described in BS 3900-F22).
3.2 Test 2. Humidity cabinet, non-cycling
3.2.1 The humidity cabinet, non-cycling test is
intended to provide information regarding the
behaviour of a paint film or paint system under
conditions of continuous high humidity.
Theoretically, any non-cycling test cabinet will
cause condensation on panels only if these are cold
when inserted into the cabinet and no drying of the
condensed moisture can take place in an
atmosphere of 100 % relative humidity. Conversely,
if the panels are hot at the commencement of the
test, or if they are heated together with the whole
cabinet, no condensation should take place.
In practice, however, some cycling occurs owing to
the impossibility of obtaining perfect insulation of
the apparatus, the nature of the cycle depending on
the order of heat losses and on the temperature of
the surrounding air.
3.2.2 Test cabinet. The cabinet shall be capable of
producing and maintaining an atmosphere of not
less than 96 % relative humidity at a temperature
of 38 ± 1 °C.
2)
BS 3900, “Methods of tests for paints”,
Part A3, “Preparation of panels prior to painting”,
Part A4, “Notes for guidance on paint application”,
Part F2, “Resistance to humidity under condensation conditions”.
© BSI 02-2000
BS AU 148-11:1969
The cabinet shall be constructed of non-corrosive
material and shall have provision for heating and
controlling temperature within the limit stated
under test conditions. The most convenient way of
heating and humidifying is to place electrical
resistance heaters in a layer of water which should
cover the whole base of the apparatus.
3.3 Test 3. Water immersion test
3.3.1 The water immersion test shall consist of the
immersion of painted panels in a bath of distilled
water. The temperature of the water shall
be 38 ± 1 °C throughout the test. The water shall be
circulated in order to obtain uniformity of
temperature.
Fresh water shall be used for each batch of panels,
or alternatively, the water shall be changed
every 500 h if the apparatus is in continuous
operation.
The test panels shall be immersed in the water bath
and examined regularly for evidence of blistering.
The duration of the test shall be subject to
agreement between the purchaser and the paint
supplier.
3.3.2 Any suitable apparatus may be used which
provides the conditions outlined in 3.3.1. The tanks
and panel supports shall be made from an inert
material e.g. glass or a suitable plastics material.
It is important to ensure that the panels are at
least 20 mm distant from each other.
3.3.3 Any panel shall be deemed to have failed the
test when blisters are visible to the naked eye, but
blisters within 10 mm of the panel edges shall be
ignored.
3.4 Test 4. Humidity room. The humidity room
test is intended for the assessment of paint
performance on large units like complete
automobile bodies.
The room, irrespective of its size, shall be so
constructed as to exclude practically all influence of
external changes in temperature.
A convenient way of raising and maintaining the
temperature at the required level with an
atmosphere permanently saturated with water
vapour, is to employ in the room water-filled tanks
equipped with thermostatically controlled
immersion heaters.
1
BS AU 148-11:1969
The temperature at which this test shall be carried
out is subject to agreement between the purchaser
and the supplier. For guidance, existing
installations are operated within the range
of 24° to 35 °C.
4 Evaluation of results
4.1 The minimum time before the occurrence of
blistering is subject to agreement between the paint
purchaser and the supplier. Inspection for blistering
shall be carried out by the naked eye and blisters
nearer than 10 mm to the edges shall be
disregarded. The method of assessment given below
is extracted from A.S.T.M. standard No. D714-56.
4.1.1 This method employs photographic reference
standards to evaluate the degree of blistering that
may develop when paint systems are subject to
conditions which will cause blistering. While
primarily intended for use on metal and other
nonporous surfaces, this method may be used to
evaluate blisters on porous surfaces, such as wood,
if the size of blisters falls within the scope of these
reference standards. When the reference standards
are used as a specification of performance, the
permissible degree of blistering of the paint system
shall be agreed upon by the purchaser and the
supplier.
4.2 Reference standards
1) The photographic reference standards shown
in Figure 1 to Figure 8 represent two
characteristics of blistering; namely size and
frequency. The size is described on an arbitrary
numerical scale, and the frequency is described
qualitatively. The photographs have been
selected to show random distribution over the
entire surface (see Note).
2) Size. Reference standards have been selected
for 4 steps as to size on a numerical scale from 10
to 0, in which No. 10 represents no blistering.
Blistering standard No. 8 represents the smallest
size blister easily seen by the unaided eye.
Blistering standards Nos. 6, 4, and 2 represent
progressively larger sizes.
2 © BSI 02-2000
3) Frequency. Reference standards have been
selected for 4 steps in frequency at each step in
size, designated as follows:
Dense, D,
Medium dense, MD,
Medium, M, and
Few, F.
NOTE A quantitive physical description of blistering would
include the following characteristics determined by actual count:
size distribution in terms of mensuration units,
frequency of occurrence per unit area,
pattern of distribution over the surface, and
shape of blister.
For the usual tests, an actual count is more elaborate than is
necessary.
4.3 Procedure. Subject the paint film to the test
conditions agreed upon by the purchaser and the
supplier. Then evaluate the paint film for the degree
of blistering by comparison with the photographic
reference standards in Figure 1 to Figure 8.
4.4 Reporting
1) Report blistering as a number (see Note)
designating the size of the blisters and a
qualitative term or symbol indicating the
frequency.
2) Intermediate steps in size or frequency of
blisters may be judged by interpolation.
3) When the distribution of blisters over the area
has a non-uniform pattern use an additional
phrase to describe the distribution, such as
“small clusters,” or “large patches.”
NOTE The number refers to the largest size blister that is
numerous enough to be representative of the specimen.
For example, photographic standard No. 4, “Dense”, has blisters
ranging in size from about No. 7 to No. 4, inclusive.
 BS AU 148-11:1969

Figure 1 — Blister size No. 2

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BS AU 148-11:1969

Figure 2 — Blister size No. 2

4 © BSI 02-2000
 BS AU 148-11:1969

Figure 3 — Blister size No. 4

© BSI 02-2000 5
BS AU 148-11:1969

Figure 4 — Blister size No. 4

6 © BSI 02-2000
 BS AU 148-11:1969

Figure 5 — Blister size No. 6

© BSI 02-2000 7
BS AU 148-11:1969

Figure 6 — Blister size No. 6

8 © BSI 02-2000
 BS AU 148-11:1969

Figure 7 — Blister size No. 8

© BSI 02-2000 9
BS AU 148-11:1969

Figure 8 — Blister size No. 8

10 © BSI 02-2000
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BS AU
148-11:1969
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