INDY NS eC re note Sere Oe SURFACE PREP ST EXPLAINED - SSPC/NACE & ISO 8501 UNDERSTANDING THE ABRASIVE BLAST CLEANING STANDARDS SSPC/NACE AND ISO 8501 ‘The two dominant abrasive blast cleaning standards, ISO 8501 and the SSPC/NACE joint standards, are tough to compare. Although they recognize roughly the same levels of cleanliness, they classify them in opposite ways, muddying the water. Iso 8501 SSPC / NACE 180 8501 was published by the International Standards Organization _In North America, the original surface prep standard was written by ln 1988, after combining the content from the 1967 Swedish Standard an architectural group in the 1960 for steel workers in Pittsburgh ‘SIS 055900 with the German DIN 55928, ISO 8501 is a pictorial The Society for Steel Painting Steuctures formed around the standard showing the appearance of different rust grades at various _standards, The SSPC standards are text descriptions, not pictorial levels of cleanliness, although it also contains text descriptions of the although they are accompanied by visual guides (VIS) with phato Cleanliness levels. I$0 8501 ranks cleanliness levels in order references. SSPC/NACE numbers them in reverse order, of increasing work required. by increasing surface cleanliness. a1 Light Blast Cleaning SP 5 White Metal ‘Sa 2 Thorough Blast Cleaning ‘SP 6 Commercial ‘Sa Blast Cleaning to Visually Clean Stee! SP 7 Brush off ‘This was straightforward enough until the industry demanded a new specification for a cleanliness grade that could cut costs by replacing White Metal in situations where near-white was good enough. ISO adapted it ito thelr established order as Sa2 1/2, Very Thorough Blast Cleaning, but SSPC went outside the order, adcing it chronologically as SP 10 Near White. The two versions were not equal: Sa 2.5 permitted stains, streaks and shadows from rust, mil scale and coatings to remain on up to 15%* of the surface, whereas SP 10 allowed for only 5%. ln. 2000, SSPC and NACE issued joint standards in anticipation of a merger between the organizations, whose memberships largely overlapped. ‘The merger fll through, but NACE's neve order, which mapped NACE No, 1,2, 4 onto SSPC SP 5, 6, 10,7, persisted This cleared things up until 2006 when SSPC/NACE introduced Industral Blast Cleaning, anew specification between Brush Off anc Commercial, and classified it chronologically as SSPC SP 14 / NACE No.8. ISO declined to shoe-horn the new specification into thelr system as sats Despite the differences, the grades of cleanliness are generally thought to be compatible. They reflect similar permissible levels of stains and tightly-adhered rust, mill scale and coatings, and can be summed up with a chart: “Estimated surface area, ISO 8501-1 isa visual reference and does not explicitly state percentages. “nov wn gece tantdsutecnsrpatreratelanmsgeraceeo¥50 Nn tscara campus a Sct SSPONACE a6 801 Commercial } SSPCSP14 NACE No. Iso -— Loose Material Tight Material Stains, Shadows ‘The specifications specifically mention stains, streaks and shadows, but they are practically the same: a residue showing a difference in color but of no ciscemible thickness. Tightly adhered material refers to anything that cannot be peeled of with a dull putty knife WHY SURFACE PREP STANDARDS? Surface preparations standards exist to maximize coating life and minimize costs With surface prep accounting for upto 40% of the cost ofa repainting projec, facility owners look to limit the material and hours spent blasting, White Metal is expensive to achieve, especialy on maintenance jobs, and typically reserved for ertical applications where the cost of fallure is. catastrophic. Near white is good enough for service in most severe environments, Commercial is less expensive and suitable for non-corrosive ‘atmospheres and service environments, Brush Off wil save the owner the most money in the short run, ihe can get away witht When choosing a coating, the owner weighs the costs of blasting and painting against the risk of a premature coating failure. Ifthe worst-case ‘scenario is that he has to repaint in 5 years instead of 7, he might save money by cutting back from Commercial to Brush-Off. When premature ‘coating fallure could result inthe spilling of five milion gallons of corrosive, hazardous and expensive chemical, he'll lean towards White Metal ‘and a high performance coating, BREAKDOWN OF SURFACE PREP STANDARDS SOLVENT CLEANING SP 1/180 8504 Loosely-echering material: 100% ‘Tightly adhering material: 100% Stains, streaks, shadows: 100% ‘Abrasive blasting wor't remove oll and grease ~ itust smears them over the surface, causing premature coatings failure Visible deposits of ol, grease and dirt must be spot cleaned prior to abrasive blast cleaning, SP 1 Isa prerequisite tothe other SSPC abrasive blasting specifications. on nears clnonecesntornaeettecrsepaaeetraicirmtspe ere 80 nlcompara Sra tp Sct SSPONACE a6 801 ‘The standards specify numerous methods for solvent cleaning, The mast common method ~ and the east effective ~ is washing with soap, water and a rag. A dirty rag will also smear ‘grease and oll: care must be taken to wipe, fold repeat, and replace often. For large surfaces, pressure washing with soapy water is recommended, although soap residue will inhibit ‘coating adhesion and should be rinsed off Get the full specifications: SSPC SP1 / 180 8504-2 BRUSH OFF SP 7/ NACE #4/ SA1 ‘aka Light Blast Cleaning, sweep blast Loosely-achering material: O% Tightly adhering material: 100% Stains, streaks, shadows: 100% Brush Off is specified to remove loose rust, mill scale and coatings, and uniformly roughen up. 1 surface in preparation for a new coat. Tightl-adherent materials are permitted to remain, Brush Off is specified where the expected lfe of the coating is short, such as ship hull antifouling, or in mild atmospheres and non-corrosive service environments, such as the ‘exterior of a tank, in @ rural location. Got the full specifications: SSPC SP7 / NACE No.4 /1S0 8501-1 Sa INDUSTRIAL BLAST CLEANING SP 14 / NACE #8 Loosely-echering material: 0% ‘Tightly adhering materia: 10% Stains, streaks, shadows: 100% Industrial Blast Cleaning specifies that 90% of the tightly-adhered matter must go. Shadows, streaks and stains from rust, mil scale and old coatings are allowed on 100% of the surface. Industrial is specified for conditions when the existing coating is thi, well adherent and ‘compatible with new coating Its the most recent abrasive blasting standard, and not widely specified. ISO has no corresponding specification Get the full specifications: SSPC SP14 / NACE No. COMMERCIAL BLAST CLEANING SP 6 / NACE #3 / SA2 ‘aka Thorough Blast Cleaning Loosely-achering materia: O% Tightly-adhering material: 0% Stains, streaks, shadows: 33% ‘Commercial Blast Cleaning specifies that all tghtly-adhering matter must go. Shadows, streaks and stains can remain on up to 33% of the surface. on nears clnonecesntornaeettecrsepaaeetraicirmtspe ere 80 nlcampus tp Src SSRONACE a6 801 ‘Commercial is specified when a high, but not perfect, degree of cleanliness is warranted. Its ‘common for repainting products that serve in nor-corrosive environments and atmospheres, such as tanks and bridges. Get the full specifications: SSPC SP6 / NACE No.3 /ISO 8501-1 Sa2 NEAR WHITE BLAST CLEANING SP 10 / NACE #2 / SA 2.5 ‘aka Very Thorough Blast Cleaning Loosely-achering material: O% Tightly-adhering material: 0% Stains, streaks, shadows: SP 10 5%, Sa 2% 15% Near White Blast Cleaning specifies that shadows, streaks and stains must be limited to 5% of the surface area. Near White is specified when the added benefit of blasting to White Metal doesnt justify the added expense. "Near White is typically specified for high performance coatings over steel exposed to severe environmental conditions, such as chemical spills and fumes, high humidity, and proximity to ‘saltwater. It is commonly specified for off-shore platforms, shipyards and other marine ‘environments. Get the full specifications: SSPC SP10 / NACE No.2 / ISO 8501-1 Sa2.5 WHITE METAL BLAST CLEANING SP5 / NACE #1/ SA3 ‘aka Blast Clean to Visibly Clean Stee! Loosely-echering materia: 0% Tightly-adhering material: 0% ‘Stains, streaks, shadows: 0% ‘White Metals the highest grade of abrasive blast cleaning, No shadows, streaks or stains are Permitted. When viewed without magnification, the surface shall be free of all visible o ‘grease, dust, dt, mil scale, rust, coating, oxides, corrosion products and other foreign matter. ‘White metal is specified for steel serving under high temperatures, high pressures, and ‘corrosive environments, and in cases where the catastrophic consequences of coating failure justify the extra expense, such as nuclear reactors, turbines, chemical tank linings, Get the full specifications: SSPC SPS / NACE No.1 /ISO 8501-1 Sa3 USING THE STANDARDS 150 8501 is apictoral standard containing reference photographs that ilustrate what each blast specification looks lke on a variety of rust grades and initial conditions. It comes in a hhardoover AS format that can be directly compared to the surface. SSPC/NACE also sell visual on nears clnonecesntornaeettecrsepaaeetraicirmtspe ere 80 nl‘uides for direct comparison with surfaces, but the written descriptions are the standard. Judging percentages of stains is an imprecise art that often causes rulers to come out, Preparing a job standard is a best practice for avoiding disputes: + Stake out a sample area + Prepare the surface to specification ‘+ Get agreement from the stakeholders thatthe prepared sample meets the specification + Apply a clear coating to preserve the appearance ‘Surface preparation standards provide a basis for a service level agreement between blasters, contractors, inspectors and project owners. Knowing the standards are important for any abrasive blaster, and is a necessity for certified blasters. The specifications contain detailed methods and practices for preparing surfaces. They are ‘frequently updated, so refer to them by name, date, edition number, and supplement when discussing project standards. cert erent “nov wn gece tantdsutecnsrpatreratelanmsgeraceeo¥50 Nn