Materials System Specification

09-SAMSS-068 13 July 2011

Qualification Requirements for Coal Tar Epoxy in Buried
or Immersion Services (APCS-3) for Steel & Concrete
Document Responsibility: Paints and Coatings Standards Committee

Saudi Aramco DeskTop Standards

Table of Contents

1 Scope............................................................. 2
2 Conflicts and Deviations................................. 2
3 References..................................................... 3
4 General Requirements................................... 4
5 Qualification Tests and Requirements........... 4
6 Method of Packaging..................................... 8

Previous Issue: 28 June 2009 Next Planned Update: 28 June 2014

Revised paragraphs are indicated in the right margin Page 1 of 7
Primary contact: Khashram, Maher Saud on 966-3-8760261

Copyright©Saudi Aramco 2011. All rights reserved.

Document Responsibility: Paints and Coatings Standards Committee 09-SAMSS-068
Issue Date: 13 July 2011 Qualification Requirements for Coal Tar Epoxy in Buried
Next Planned Update: 28 June 2014 or Immersion Services (APCS-3) for Steel & Concrete

1 Scope

This Specification defines the minimum mandatory requirements for qualifying coal tar
epoxy coating products for use in Saudi Aramco's Approved Protective Coating System
APCS-3 on steel and concrete. 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.

This specification does not apply to, 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.

2 Conflicts and Deviations

2.1 Any conflicts between this specification and other Saudi Aramco Materials
System Specifications (SAMSSs), Saudi Aramco Engineering Standards
(SAESs), industry codes and standards, and Saudi Aramco Standard Drawings
(SASDs) 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-068
Issue Date: 13 July 2011 Qualification Requirements for Coal Tar Epoxy in Buried
Next Planned Update: 28 June 2014 or Immersion Services (APCS-3) for Steel & Concrete

3 References

Materials or equipment supplied to this specification shall comply with the latest edition
of the references listed below, unless otherwise noted.

3.1 Saudi Aramco Documents

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-101 APCS-3 Coal-Tar Epoxy Coating for Immersion Service

3.2 Industry Codes and Standards

American Society for Testing and Materials

ASTM A36 Structural Steel
ASTM D610 Evaluating Degree of Rusting on Painted Steel
Surfaces
ASTM D714 Evaluating Degree of Blistering of Paints
ASTM D1640 Drying, Curing or Film Formation of Organic
Coatings at Room Temperature
ASTM D1849 Package Stability of Paint
ASTM D4541 Pull-off Strength of Coatings Using Portable
Adhesion Testers
ASTM G42 Cathodic Disbonding of Pipeline Coatings
Subjected to Elevated or Cyclic Temperatures

National Association of Corrosion Engineers

NACE TM0174 Laboratory Methods for the Evaluation of
Protective Coatings and Lining Materials in
Immersion Service

The Society for Protective Coatings

SSPC PA 2 Measurement of Dry Coating Thickness with

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Document Responsibility: Paints and Coatings Standards Committee 09-SAMSS-068
Issue Date: 13 July 2011 Qualification Requirements for Coal Tar Epoxy in Buried
Next Planned Update: 28 June 2014 or Immersion Services (APCS-3) for Steel & Concrete

Magnetic Gages
SSPC - Guide to VIS 1 Pictorial Surface Preparation Standards for
Painting Steel Surfaces
SSPC SP 10 Near-white Metal Blast

Swedish Standards Institute

SIS Sa 2-½ Very Thorough Blast Cleaning

International Concrete Repair Institute (ICRI)

Technical Guide 03730 Guide for Surface Preparation for the Repair of
Deteriorated Concrete Resulting from

4 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 must submit a certified test report documenting to the RSA 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 and approval if the data presented by the
Supplier satisfied all the requirements.

4.3 All initial product qualification tests and any other laboratory tests that Saudi
Aramco sees necessary to qualify this product shall be carried out at no cost to
Saudi Aramco.

4.4 Certified test report of the coal tar epoxy coatings for soil buried concrete or for
internal oily water sump up to 70°C shall include tests on water permeability,
chemical tests, adhesion value, crack bridging value, surface preparation
requirement

5 Qualification Tests and Requirements

5.1 Test Panel Preparation

5.1.1 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 - Guide to VIS 1 Rust Grade A, Adherent
Mill Scale. The minimum thickness of the test panel shall be 5 mm.

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Document Responsibility: Paints and Coatings Standards Committee 09-SAMSS-068
Issue Date: 13 July 2011 Qualification Requirements for Coal Tar Epoxy in Buried
Next Planned Update: 28 June 2014 or Immersion Services (APCS-3) for Steel & Concrete

If coal tar epoxy coating for concrete, the panel shall be concrete
coupons. The surface preparation of concrete shall be in accordance to
technical guide ICRI 03730.

5.1.2 Abrasive blast the test panels to near white metal, SSPC SP 10
(SIS Sa 2-½).

5.1.3 The profile of the blasted surface shall be 65-100 micrometers.

5.1.4 Coatings shall be mixed, applied and cured in accordance with the
Vendor's recommendations. Dry film thickness shall be measured and
recorded in accordance with SSPC PA 2, and shall meet the following
requirements:

Each coat for steel: 300 micrometers maximum per coat

Total coating thickness for steel: 400 - 600 micrometers.

Total coating thickness for concrete: 750 micrometer (30 mils)

5.1.5 Holding Primer

Coating systems employing a holding primer shall be tested as a

complete system. Apply the holding primer at the thickness
recommended by the manufacturer. Cure the panel at a temperature of
25ºC ± 2°C for 7 days. Then apply and cure the topcoats in accordance
with paragraph 5.1.4.

5.2 Physical Properties Tests

5.2.1 Package Stability of Paint

When stored at 52°C ± 1°C 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
d) Grains, lumps or steaks - 8 or better

5.2.2 Adhesion Test

5.2.2.1 Prepare test panels as in Section 5.1.

5.2.2.2 Determine the adhesion of the prime coat to the substrate, inter-
coat adhesion, or cohesion of any coat of the painting system

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Document Responsibility: Paints and Coatings Standards Committee 09-SAMSS-068
Issue Date: 13 July 2011 Qualification Requirements for Coal Tar Epoxy in Buried
Next Planned Update: 28 June 2014 or Immersion Services (APCS-3) for Steel & Concrete

by using an adhesion tester, 450 kg capacity, in accordance

with ASTM D4541. 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).

5.2.3 Spray Properties

The ready mixed paint shall be easily applied at 300 micrometers to a

vertical surface with no tendency to sag, creep or run.

5.2.4 Drying Times

When tested in accordance with ASTM D1640, the dry-through (or dry-
to-handle) time shall be 12 hours or less and the dry-to-recoat time shall
be in accordance with Vendor's published data sheets.

5.2.5 Cure Time

The paint shall cure completely within 7 days at a temperature of 20°C.

5.2.6 Usable Pot life

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

5.3 Performance Tests

5.3.1 Immersion Tests

5.3.1.1 Test panels shall be prepared in accordance with paragraph 5.1.

5.3.1.2 All tests shall be performed in duplicate.

5.3.1.3 The fully cured coating shall be tested per NACE TM0174,
Procedure B-Immersion Testing and shall be exposed to the
following test conditions:
a) Reagent Grade Distilled Water which meets the
requirements of ASTM D1193, Type I. Test solution
temperature shall be 70°C ± 2°C.
b) A one-to-one mixture of mineral spirits and brine (5% by
weight sodium chloride in distilled water). Test solution

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Document Responsibility: Paints and Coatings Standards Committee 09-SAMSS-068
Issue Date: 13 July 2011 Qualification Requirements for Coal Tar Epoxy in Buried
Next Planned Update: 28 June 2014 or Immersion Services (APCS-3) for Steel & Concrete

temperature shall be 70°C ± 2°C.

5.3.1.4 At the conclusion of six months exposure, the coating systems

shall be evaluated for and shall meet the following criteria:

Standard Acceptable Rating

ASTM D714
Evaluating Degree of No blisters
Blistering of Paints
ASTM D610
Evaluating Degree of
9 or better
Rusting on Painted
Steel Surfaces
The coating shall show no more than a
NACE TM0174 two pencil hardness difference and
(paragraph 6.2.4) adhesion between wet and dry portions
Hardness and of the panel shall be similar. After
Adhesion conditioning in laboratory for seven days
there shall be no difference.

5.3.2 Cathodic Disbondment Test

5.3.2.1 Prepare test panels as in Section 5.1 except that the total dry
film thickness shall not exceed 450 micrometers (18 mils).

5.3.2.2 When tested in accordance with ASTM G42 at 70°C, there

shall be no disbonding of the coating after thirty (30) days.

5.3.3 Coating Testing Requirement for Concrete

Submit certified test reports for review by CSD of the coal tar epoxy
coatings for soil buried concrete or for internal oily water sump up to
70°C shall include tests on water vapor permeability, chemical and water
immersion tests following paragraph 5.3.1.3 test condition a) and b),
adhesion value, crack bridging value, elongation value, surface
preparation requirement.

6 Method of Packaging

Coating shall be packaged in accordance with 09-SAMSS-060.

Revision Summary
28 June 2009 Revised the “Next Planned Update”. Reaffirmed the contents of the document, and reissued
with minor changes.
13 July 2011 Editorial revision to remove the committee members list.

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