5 Application of coatings and linings Objective When you have gone through this chapter should know how to prepare necessary work prior to implementation of application of coatings and linings know why ventilation is required in connection with application of coatings and linings be familiar with methods for heating and dehumidification of ventilated air know about pretreatment, cleaning and use of equipment know about application techniques in case of manual application and spray application be able to evaluate faulty spray patterns, find the cause of the fault and correct the spray pattern Introduction In corrosive environments it is especially important that the applied coating meets any requirements to appearance, durability and protective properties. When apply- ing a coating it is therefore important to use the right working technique and the right application equipment. Any authorization required must have been obtained before commencing the job. The materials and equipment required must have been checked and be in place. Paint delivered in containers or cans from the manufacturer may be regarded as intermediate products. The dried paint film is the end product. Different applica- tion methods can be used for transferring the paint from the container or the can to the surface: application by brush application by painting gloves application by roller spraying In addition, there are methods in which the objects or constructions are immersed in paint or paint is poured over the object. To ensure that the coating is applied in a proper film thickness on sharp edges and comers, it is often necessary first to apply a layer by brush on these areas. The same is relevant for other areas where access is difficult and specially exposed areas. This layer or stripe coating is applied prior to every coat applied by spray and is carried out in addition to touch up. It may be required to round off sharp edges, especially in tanks and outdoor constructions. 5 APPLICATION OF COATINGS AND LININGS 145Figure 5.1 Stripe coating of edges and corners Rigging Before commencing the application work, the working area must be rigged. Rig- ging comprises any measures to safeguard and secure the working site and person- nel in connection with health, environment and safety, to provide proper access from scaffolding or movable equipment and to ensure that any other necessary equipment is in place and fully operational. Containment of the area ‘The area where the application work is to take place must be contained. For this purpose, we can set up physical barriers or warning signs. This is first and fore- most done in order to prevent that any unauthorised personnel are exposed to dan- ger such as solvents and other chemicals or in some way may become injured. Actions must also be taken to ensure that the work carried out is not impaired or damaged. During spraying, action must be taken to prevent spray dust from damaging equipment, objects or any persons in the vicinity. Spray dust may be carried a long way with the wind. It may prove expensive to take a chance that the dust will not get as far as for example a nearby parking place or that the dust is dry before it lands on the cars. We are more or less able to guard ourselves from these types of damage by for example contain the area to prevent the spray dust to leave the sprayed object cover equipment and objects in the vicinity with plastic sheeting or similar warn against the risk of spraying dust, for instance by signs 146 Corrosion PROTECTIONavoid spraying in heavy winds postpone spraying to a time when there are no other activities in the area use brush, roller or painting gloves Masking Masking is a type of shielding or covering. Masking tape, paper and plastic film are used to protect surfaces, objects, equipment or instruments on or close to the area to be painted. If plastic film is used as a masking material, it should be noted that almost all paints adhere poorly to this material. When the paint dries on the plastic film it will easily fall off in flakes. These flakes may easily settle in the subsequent coats and damage the paint film. Some use grease as a masking material. This is usually a bad choice. The sol- vents in the paint film cause the grease to become fluid. It will then spread over the surface. The general result is poor adhesion of the paint and a destroyed paint film. ‘Anodes on ship’s hulls can be masked off by covering them with aluminium foil. Ventilation When applying paint containing solvents, proper ventilation must be provided. This is especially important in closed spaces, tanks and the like. Proper ventilation re- duces fire and explosion hazards. It is not unusual that a paint contains 50% solvents. If spraying a tank with an area of 1000 m? (volume approx. 1850 m?) and the spreading rate of the paint is 5 m? per litre, the consumption is 200 litres of paint. This means that 100 litres of solvents must evaporate from the paint. If we work over a period of 10 hours, the vapours from 10 litres of solvents must be removed every hour. If the paint in this example has a OAR value of 3000 (se chapter 14) 200 litres of paint x 3000 = 600 000 cubic metres of air must be supplied. This gives approx. 32 air shifts per hour. In practice, it is unrealistic to provide such high volumes of air that it is feasible to reach below the recommended norm during spraying and ventilation. In this example, the supplied volume of air per hour will usually not exceed 1/10 of the air volume. That is 6000 m*/hour. It is therefore unrealistic to work without wearing a fresh-air mask. Solvent vapours are heavier than air. Without ventilation, they will displace the air and settle on the lowest places in the tank/space/container. Eventually, the sol- vent vapours will take up so much space that most of the air is displaced. As a consequence, the air is filled with solvent vapours. Air filled with a high amount of solvent vapours will hinder evaporation of solvents from the paint. This will im- pede the drying process. In such conditions, some paints have a tendency only to dry on the surface (skin drying). At the same time, solvents become entrapped in the film. The risk of skin 5 APPLICATION OF COATINGS AND LININGS 147drying is highest when in addition to poor ventilation the temperature is high. During ventilation the air must be distributed so that hidden pockets containing solvent vapours are also ventilated Some coatings (for example epoxy coatings) require a minimum air and surface temperature in order to cure. If the temperature is below this minimum limit or we wish to accelerate curing, then heat must be supplied. It is difficult to use electric heating fans due to fire and explosion hazards. Instead, so-called building dryers (Kockoverk, Bacoverk) are used. In this unit, air is drawn in above an oil burner. The burner heats up the air, which is blown out through one or more exhausts. Exhaust Hot air in eee Sst D Figure 5.2 If hot air is injected from below and exhausted from the top of the space, some areas will not be ventilated (dead areas) (a). This is a poor solution. A much better solution is to inject the hot air from the top and exhaust the hot air from below (b) Exhaust Injection Exhaust b Figure 5.3 These figures illustrate how ventilation air flows into a space when injection and exhaustion of air (a) take place from each side of the space or at the same side of the space (b) Cold air > Sy Figure 5.4 If cold air is injected from the top of the space and is exhausted from below, the cold air will flow down like a stream and to a small extent mix with the rest of the air in the space 148 Corrosion proTEctIONThe air volume and air velocity are so high that it is possible to distribute and conduct the hot air through pipes or hot-air hoses over comparatively great dis- tances. Heat will be lost on the way from the unit to the working area. If hot air is used for drying of paint, attention must be paid to the risk of skin drying despite the air from the building dryers providing a ventilation effect. It is also important that hot air is supplied through hoses and that the building dryers are placed outdoors to avoid that any humidity from the flue gas causes the relative humidity to increase. It is often a requirement that the surface temperature should be minimum 3°C above the dew point. If this condition is not met, then action must be taken to meet this requirement In principle there are two ways to meet this requirement: We can either increase the surface temperature or lower the dew point. To lower the dew point is the same as removing water from the air, i.e. dehumidify the air by means of a dehumidifica- tion apparatus, To increase the surface temperature of a construction generally means that heat from the surrounding air is transferred to the construction. When the surface tem- perature is not influenced to any great extent by the changes of the air temperature, an adequate reduction of the air temperature compared to the surface temperature will provide favourable conditions between the surface temperature,and the dew point temperature of the air. During paint application, the temperatures must be in accordance with those required on the technical data sheet for the paint. Below you will find examples of ventilation of a spraying cabin. (The drawings are taken from Arbetarskyddsfonden (a Swedish fond for the protection of work- ers): Riskerna med lésningsmedel (Hazards when working with solvents): go a Figure 5.5 In spraying cabins with vertical ventilation, air is in general gradually supplied from all over the top of the cabin and exhausted through the whole of the floor. 5 APPLICATION OF COATINGS AND LININGS 149Figure 5.6 Diagonally ventilated spraying cabin Figure 5.7 In horizontally ventilated spraying cabins supply of air generally takes place through a perforated end wall and exhausted through a filter in the wall at the other end Figure 5.8 In this case, the ventilation of the working place is particularly good. In addition to the horizontal air stream from the back wall, warm air is supplied from above 150 Corrosion protectionVertical ventilation is suitable for spraying of large objects with different shapes spraying from several angles of suspended objects Horizontal ventilation is suitable for spraying in one direction of large objects fixed to suspension conveyors spraying in one direction of manually handled objects Recioulated air loop ono I ZZAZY Recirculation filter rT Air from the tank J | 5 Tank Dry air J : —-—-+- — Figure 5.9 Humid air from the outside Dehumidified air Dehumidification unit Dry air into the tank The air is generally directly let out into the open Jn some circumstances an exhaust fan is required Provided the air from the tank is sufficiently clean, it can be recirculated Heated air for drying of the rotor During drying of the rotor; the air absorbs a large amount of humidity. : The wet air is let out into the open injected into the unit OOWUAUAWNN Rotor which absorbs humidity Dry air Process air Ai for drying of the rotor Figure 5.10 Dehumidifcation unit 5 APPLICATION OF COATINGS AND LININGS 154.The safest and most probably the best method to meet the requirements to the air condition is to lower the dew point. For this purpose a so-called absorption dryer is utilized. The air outside is drawn into the unit and passes through and is dried in a cylinder, with a very large surface area made from a hygroscopic material. Fans are used to blow the dry air through a heater and on to the units exhaust. From this point, the dry air is distributed through large diameter hoses to the work place. The part of the cylinder that has absorbed the humidity is dried with very hot air (above 100°) while it is rotating. The humid, hot air is let out into the open air Figure 5.11 Movable dehumidification unit, supplying from 5000 m? 10 15000 m? dry air per hour Checklist for safety equipment Safety equipment is selected according to the application work to be carried out and the working area. Each individual is responsible for checking that all necessary safety equipment is in place and in proper condition, in particular personal safety equipment. When painting confined spaces and tanks we must check that an adequate supply of clean fresh air is available (free flowing) check that intake hoses and connectors are undamaged and otherwise in proper condition check and adjust the fresh air mask (personal safety equipment) check that spare breathing apparatus is in place check that the assistant is present and that the assistant and the operator in the tank have contact with each other check that adequate explosion proof lighting is provided check that slings, belts, lines, scaffolding, , sky-climbers, ladders, etc. have been assembled and erected according to regulations and are in proper condi- tion 152 Corrosion protectioncheck that first aid equipment and safety equipment are available check other personal safety equipment, for example that the correct filters for safety masks are available Preparation of the paint Before we start using the paint materials carefully study the product data sheets, systems and safety precautions. We must check the information on the can: + That the paint and colour are correct The product number must be correct provided we have the product number The shelf life has not been exceeded When using two-component products, the mixing ratio must be in accordance with the information provided on the data sheets It is important to ensure that we have the correct thinners. We must also ensure that we have sufficient paint and thinner. Before opening the can, ensure that the lids are clean. You should also make a habit of not moving the lids across open cans to avoid that any dirt falls into the paint. We must check the liquid paint when we have opened the can. There is not much we can check on the spot. However, it is possible to check a number of properties especially if we have used the paint before. This could be the amount of sediment, lumps, formation of grains, gelatinisation, skin formation, consistency and to some extent the colour. If any defects in the paint are found these should be registered and reported. The packaging must be kept in case this has to be checked at a later point of time. . When using two-component products ensure that the correct amount of curing agent and base are mixed. The mixed paint should preferably be left for some time before application to allow the chemical reaction to start. Some paints, however, have a short pot life and must be used immediately after mixing. In some cases and only when it is necessary, the viscosity of the paint must be adjusted to obtain proper spray or paint ability. This is done by adding the correct thinner in an amount specified on the product data sheet. In general, the viscosity is consequently reduced. This means that the paint will become thin, but it will also contain a larger amount of volatile agents than before thinning down. The content of volume solids in the paint measured as a percentage has consequently been re- duced and we must pay attention to this fact when calculating the wet and dry film thickness. The viscosity in paints, which cannot or should not be thinned, can be reduced by preheating the paints. This will not cause any change in the quantitative ratio between solid and volatile agents in the paint. The preheating temperature must not exceed the maximum application temperature of the paint without prior consent from the manufacturer. If we must mix small amounts of two-component epoxy or polyurethane paints, which are delivered as finished products by the manufacturers we must be careful to measure out the two components as this may otherwise result in a wrong mixing 5 APPLICATION OF COATINGS AND LININGS 153ratio. Any surplus or insufficient amount of any of the components can be equally wrong. Curing of the paint may be insufficient or curing may not take place at all depending on which error has been made. Use a gauge marked with a graduated scale or a measuring cup to obtain the exact mixing ratio. Many paint manufactur- ers have gauges for several different mixing ratios. The equipment must be cleaned after use. Stirring of the paint is important. Mechanical stirring is the preferred method as this method ensures that the paint is properly mixed despite that heavy pigments have settled on the bottom, however, we must be careful not to mix air into the paint. If the paint consists of a metal powder and binder solution, for example zinc silicate paint, the components must be mixed with a mechanical mixer. The mixed paint must be filtered before use. Any paint that is to be applied by spray should generally be filtered, however, the product data sheet should be checked for any special requirements to the mesh size. This is especially important in the case of coatings and linings containing metallic pigments, fibres or glass flakes. | SE Figure 5.12 Mechanical mixer and stirring rods for mechanical stirring. db Application Application with paint roller and paint gloves Paint rollers are produced in the lengths 13.5 cm, 18 cm and 25 cm. In addition, special rollers such as edge rollers and special rollers for painting of pipes are produced. Paint rollers made from fleece often leave hairs or fibres on the surface, which stick to the paint. This is especially the case if the roller is new and has not been soaked in solvents for some time before taken into use. Solvents must be removed (spun out) before the roller is taken into use. Water is also a solvent. When we use rollers, the paint is applied as a w, we start rolling vertically and erase the w horizontally. 154 Corrosion PROTECTIONFigure 5.13 Correct roller application of paint Roller application may leave a pattern that looks like scratches if the paint is ap- plied in a too thick layer. The same pattern will appear if the hair of the roller is too long. Roller application may pump air into the paint. The air will come out as small blisters in the surface. If we sweep off the surface with a flat brush afterwards, we will be able to remove both scratches and blisters. We do not recommend applying the primer coat by roller before application of the anti-corrosive paint. Zinc-rich paints must not be applied by roller. A Paint glove is used for paint application on thin pipes and railings. It usually leaves a great deal of hairs or fibres on the surface. The paint film thickness will be low. It is not suitable for application of primers and must not be used directly onto abrasive blasted substrates. See figure 3.39. Conventional spraying For conventional spraying (low pressure spraying) we use pressurised air to atom- ize and apply the paint. Air atomization provides finer atomization compared to high pressure spraying provided the paint has the right viscosity. The improved flowing ability provides a smooth and uniform paint surface. Therefore conventional spraying rather than high pressure spraying is preferred when requirements to the end-result of the sur- face treatment are high and smooth, uniform layers are to be applied by spray provided that the area to be sprayed is not to large. The air atomization spray gun makes it easy to adjust the spray pattern and the quantity of material. Furthermore, the suction cup pistol with an overlying or un- derlying cup is well suited for spray application of small amounts of paint or fre- quent paint colour changes. The general atomization pressure is between 0.2-0.4 MPa, but it may vary be- tween 0.1-0.7 MPa. Spray application produces paint mist, which consists of finely atomized paint and solvents. The amount of spray mist increases with the atomiza- tion pressure. The conventional spray gun Preparing paint for application is a part of the preparation procedure prior to spray 5 APPLICATION OF COATINGS AND LININGS 155application. The temperature of the paint should be as close to 20°C as possible Therefore, it may be necessary to heat the paint for some time before application. When opening cans and containers, care must be taken to avoid contaminating the paint with dirt, water and the like. Blow or brush away any dirt on the top of the packing before opening. Pigments and extenders have a tendency to settle. Solvents and some of the binder material often remain floating on the top of the can. Careful stirring of the paint in order to mix all the components to a homogenous mixture is a prerequisite to enable the paint to obtain the required properties. Furthermore, careful stirring of each of the components separately eases mixing of curing agent, base and thin- ner. Paints containing very heavy pigments, for example zinc, must be stirred con- tinuously during the entire spraying process. Further preparation of the paint is made in the following sequence: adjustment of viscosity (thinning), measuring of viscosity and filtering. The viscosity is usu- ally measured ina DIN cup no. 4 or a Ford cup no. 4. It is worthwhile noticing that if too much thinner is added, a relatively large amount of paint is required to in- crease the viscosity again. Setting of atomization pressure and the spray fan, i.e. the correct spray pattern is done at the same time as the test spraying, for example onto a piece of hanging paper. Evaluate the atomization pressure and adjust the pressure according to the size of the particles. If the particles are too large, wet and heavy, the pressure must be increased. If on the other hand the particles are small and dry, preventing them from flowing together and forming a film, the pressure must be reduced. The amount of paint leaving the gun must be adjusted together with the adjust- ment of the atomization pressure. The amount of paint leaving the conventional spray gun is adjusted by adjusting the opening between the fluid needle and the fluid tip. The atomization pressure must be correctly adjusted compared to the amount of paint leaving the gun at any time and the atomization properties of the paint. The recommended atomization pressure can be found in the technical data sheet for paint in question. As a starting point, the lowest pressure that provides the best Tesult as regards quality and capacity should be used. The spray gun must be cleaned inside and outside after use. After the paint container has been emptied, the container and suction pipe are cleaned roughly. The interior cleaning procedure consists of washing parts as needle, nozzle, air cap and inside the suction pipe. Furthermore, the spray gun is flushed with thinner until the thinner leaving the nozzle is clean. Exterior surfaces must be carefully cleaned and dried. Any movable parts should preferably be lubricated with a drop of lubricating oil. Pressure pot spray system The preparation procedure of the paint prior to application is the same as the one for conventional spraying, however, the viscosity is generally a bit higher when using a pressure pot system. Filtered paint is filled into the pressure pot (the paint could be filtered directly in 156 Corrosion protectionthe pressure pot), the lid is screwed on and the air supply is opened. The pressure in the pot regulates the amount of paint supplied to the gun. A pot pressure of 1-1.5 bar is generally sufficient to provide an adequate amount of paint. The vertical difference of height between the pressure pot and the gun is limited by the laws of physics and cannot be more than 9.8 metres. Instead of a pressure pot, an ordinary feed pump may supply paint to the gun. The limitation of 9.8 metres will consequently no longer be valid. When using a pressure pot system the fluid needle must be adjusted to the low- est possible pressure against the fluid tip to avoid any leakages. The spring pres- sure will consequently be low and any wear of the needle and fluid tip will be reduced. To obtain a correct spraying pattern when using a pressure pot spray system, a spray test is performed and the atomization pressure and the paint supply are ad- justed proportionally. Pressure pot spraying has a number of advantages compared with conventional spraying. First and foremost the capacity is higher. This will enhance atomization and the gun can be moved at any direction without paint running out of the cup. Access to areas that are difficult to access is also improved as the paint is supplied through the paint hose and not from a paint cup. Cleaning of the pressure pot spray equipment is more demanding than cleaning of conventional spray equipment. Whether a pressure pot or a feed purnp has been used the cleaning process will be the same. Irrespective of the supply system used, the pressure must be released prior to cleaning. The feed pump and gun must be flushed through with thinner until the thinner is clean. The cleaning procedure is almost the same as the one used for airless spray equipment. When using a pressure pot system, the lid is loosened and placed above the pressure pot with the feed pipe with paint running into the paint container. The Atomization air supply is slightly opened up and the air cap is slightly loosened and paper tissues or rags are carefully pushed against the air cap. ‘The atomization air will push back the paint in the feed pipe and the paint hose into the paint container. A bucket with clean thinner is placed in the pressure pot. The lid is closed and the pressure of the pot is adjusted to approx. 1 bar. The equipment and gun are flushed with thinner. This procedure is repeated until the thinner leaving the spray gun is clean. Just as is the case with conventional spray equipment, pressure pot equipment must be carefully cleaned and dried and finally any moveable parts are lubricated with a drop of lubricating oil. Any surplus of paint and thinner, empty cans, used rags and paper must be regarded as chemical waste and must be handled, treated, stored and deposited according to current legislation and regulations. Airless spraying Airless hosing does not use compressed air to atomize the paint, but is used instead to power the air motor when the pump is driven by compressed air, The principle is that the paint instead is put under high pressure and then forced through a narrow orifice. When the paint exits the nozzle, it will undergo a pressure drop. The com- 5 APPLICATION OF COATINGS AND LININGS 157bination of the pressure drop and a small orifice causes the paint to become atom- ized. The velocity of the droplets is so high that they easily reach the surface at a spraying distance of 30-40 cm. The droplets will flow out onto the surface and form a uniform film. The droplets are wet and heavy. Those that are sprayed past the surface will consequently fall more or less straight down if they are not carried away by the wind. Airless spraying produces less spray mist than conventional spraying. Isit usually not necessary to thin down paint when airless spraying. If thinner is added to obtain a satisfactory spray pattern, it is generally sufficient to only add a small amount. The atomization pressure is generally between 10-30 MPa, how- ever, some pumps yield pressures of up to approx. 40 MPa. Setting up the equipment for high pressure hosing is a combination of checking and connecting the equipment. In brief, the following should be done Check that there is adequate compressed air of the right quality and that the air pressure is sufficiently high Secure the compressed air connections and check for any leaks Drain the water separator Check for special oil in the oil feeder and solvents/lubricating oil in the solvent cup on the high pressure pump Connect the pump to earth Connect the spray hoses and gun and check that the pressure is adequate Check that the equipment is sufficiently clean Flush out old thinner and deposited oil with fresh thinner. Do not attach a nozzle to the pistol for this. Remember to direct the jet at the side of the can to avoid splashes of thinner. The same goes when flushing through with paint. Check that all filters have been correctly installed and that they are clean and the correct typé for the paint to be used and nozzle size. Check for any leakages with the equipment at the maximum allowed pressure. Make necessary adjustments and replacements. Flush through with fresh paint (without the nozzle) then the thinner will be removed from the system. When fresh paints is coming out of the gun the paint jet must be directed to- wards the inner side of the paint can. Pull the trigger while circulating the paint in the can until there is no longer any thinner or air left in the equipment. Check that the nozzle is clear and intact and attach the nozzle. The pump must be depressurised and the gun trigger locked when attaching the nozzle. Adjust the pressure. Minimum pressure will provide the best spray pattern. Setting up equipment also includes that hand tools, oil for air tools, spare packings, etc. are at hand in case of any necessary maintenance and repair. Also a sufficient number of cleaning rags, empty cans and amount of solvents must be available for cleaning. A waste container for empty cans and other waste must also be available. Paint and other special waste must be sent for storage and destruction. The nozzle and air pressure recommended by the paint manufacturer can be found on the product’s technical data sheet. When adjusting the atomization pres- sure, we must start with the lowest pressure recommended. If the test spray leaves an irregular spray pattern, the input pressure is increased by 0.1 MPa and the new 158 Corrosion protectionspray pattern is checked. If the spray pattern is satisfactory we reduce the input pressure by 0.05 MPA and check that the spray pattern is still satisfactory. Further adjustments are made by increasing or reducing the input pressure with half of the last adjustment until an optimal spray pattern is obtained. For selection and adjustments of nozzles, see chapter 3. Advantages of high pressure hosing compared with conventional spraying: The method has a high capacity Thinning is hardly ever required Itis possible to apply high film thicknesses, if necessary, in one operation Fewer overlaps Material-wise, the method is often economical Disadvantages of high pressure hosing compared with conventional spraying: In general, nozzles must be changed if we wish to change the spray angle and material flow even though adjustable nozzles are available The equipment is expensive An assistant to look after the pump and to refill with paint is generally required Safety precautions In the chapter regarding setting up equipment a number of safety measures are mentioned. Paint flowing through a high-pressure hose, causes friction between the paint and the plastic material in the walls inside the hose. This may cause fire and explosion hazards. The friction causes the paint to become electrically charged. As the plastic material in the inner wall does not conduct electrical current, the dis- charge will take place through metallic parts such as the gun, the joints and the pump itself. The discharges can be felt like small, but unpleasant electrical shocks or may be seen as-sparks. To avoid the paint to become electrically charged, the spray equipment must be earthed. This means that the entire equipment from the pump to and including the gun must be connected to earth. An earthing screw or a fitting is fixed to the pump, which is connected to earth with an earthing cable. The Norwegian Health and Safety Executive has published a booklet called ‘Safety Rules when using high pressure spray equipment’. Everybody working with this type of equipment, assistants and painters should make themselves ac- quainted with the contents in this booklet. The high pressure present may cause the paint jet from the gun or paint jets coming from ruptures in hoses or connectors to be injected under the skin and into tissue. This may cause irreparable injuries. Hands are particularly vulnerable. Wearing gloves during spraying will not only protect your hands from the paint, but also against the paint jet. Other bare skin is also exposed. Therefore, proper working clothes, for example coveralls, must be worn. The paint jet must not be directed at ourselves or any other person in the vicin- ity. It is correct that a gun with a nozzle is dangerous, but without a nozzle (only with needle and inner nozzle) is life threatening. In practice it is impossible to avoid paint coming into contact with our skin 5 APPLICATION OF COATINGS AND LININGS 159during spraying. Therefore, any part of the skin that may be exposed to paint must be protected with a barrier cream. Before the work, during breaks and at the end of the working day we use skin cream to keep the skin soft and intact. The cream will also prevent dehydration of the skin if we have been in contact with solvents. ‘Any paint on the skin is removed by cleansing cream, not by solvents. After washing with soap and water, fresh cream is rubbed into the skin. Spraying technique In general, the gun is handled the same way with both conventional spraying and high pressure spraying. The distance to the substrate is 15-20 cm in the case of conventional spraying and 30-40 cm in the case of high pressure spaying. With a relaxed wrist the gun is kept perpendicular to the surface. The gun must be kept in motion both when we pull the trigger and when the trigger is released. Do not pull the trigger the whole time throughout the spray job. Objects with complicated design or with a combination of profiles, comers, edges and the like the difficult areas are sprayed first. Then the other surfaces are sprayed afterwards. A better result is obtained by cross-spraying instead of spraying in one direction only. That means that we spray vertically one time and horizontally one time. The spraying pattern has an oval shape with tapering edges. The most ideal solution would simply be to overlap the tapering edges in each stroke. That is approx. 15-20%. On smooth surfaces, overlapping is easily achieved. It is more difficult with complicated constructions. In this case it is difficult to overlap with a certain percentage every time, but 50% is most common. Handling of the spray gun. 2 Correctly performed The wrist must be kept in motion — ~~! \_ Incorrectly performed Figure 5.14a The spray gun must always be kept parallel to the object and in an angle of 90°. It is only possible to obtain a uniform film thickness this way. 160 Corrosion PROTECTION¢ Spraying starts from the edge Pull the trigger Figure 5.14b Correct handling of the gun when spraying plane surfaces 4 Handling of gun in case of spraying objects Figure 5.14¢ Handling of gun when spraying objects Spray pattern defects The spray pattern is very important for the quality of the spray job. This applies to both conventional and airless spraying. Without generalizing, it seems that a defective spray pattern is more common with airless spraying than with conventional spraying. To associate this with only ‘one cause is not a normal way of presenting the problem, but reducing the content of solvents in coatings in order to meet more stringent demands to VOC (VOC = Volatile organic compound) may reduce the sprayability, You cannot have it both ways; that is to say paints, which have both a low content of solvents and good sprayability. To choose between the two properties is quite easy. The choice must be a low content of solvents. Coatings and varnishes for conventional spraying still contain a high amount of organic solvents especially after thinning to the correct spray viscosity. Therefore, they have excellent spraying properties, but are very hazardous due to a high VOC content (volatile, organic compounds). However, there is a positive development. Water-borne coatings and varnishes are now being widely used, reference is made to the car industry, in addition, pow- der coatings are also widely used. . 5 APPLICATION OF COATINGS AND LININGS 164.Spray testing Later in this chapter there are drawings showing typical spray patterns defects associated with conventional spraying and high pressure spraying are shown. We will now describe a test, which is actually used to test the nozzle for any damage or other defects. The test can be used for both spraying procedures. Suspend a piece of paper. Keep the spraying gun still in the normal spraying distance and pull the trigger against the paper to obtain a horizontal spraying pat- tern. As the gun is not kept in motion there will consequently be a surplus of paint and subsequently sagging. If the nozzle is in working order and the paint has good sprayability the paint will in connection with high pressure spraying have a uni- form distribution across the entire sprayed surface and form a straight horizontal line, which, however, fades away towards the edges of the spray pattern, The same test in connection with conventional spraying equipment and the same conditions will also provide an even distribution. The distribution, however, will be more curved than is the case with high pressure spraying as the conventional spray- ing produces a spray pattern where tapering at the edges are more pronounced. If on the other hand the paint flow is irregular, the nozzle produces an uneven distribution of paint across the spray pattern. The spray pattern appears uneven with almost hollow sections also before the paint has started to sag. If we look at the spraying fan and compare it with the paint on the paper, we will find an identi- cal pattern of fingers, rattails and uneven paint distribution. “Rattails” produce characteristic sags at the edges of the spray pattern whereas “fingering” produces the other types of uneven sags. There is little or no paint between the fingers. Faulty Spray pattern in connection with conventional spraying We will now take a closer look at the faults that may arise in the spray pattern if there are any defects in the equipment or it is wrongly adjusted. During spraying it is often that the spray pattern is not what we want it to be. There may be several reasons, but in general a faulty spray pattern is due to poor cleaning of the equipment. OTLT6 Figure 5.15 Typical faults when conventional spraying A: Curve to the left due to 1. the left “horn” on the air cap is blocked 2 the left “supplementary hole” for the atomization is blocked 3. dirton the outside of the material nozzle (on the left side) 162 Corrosion PROTECTIONB: Curve to the right due to 1 the right “hom” on the air cap is blocked 2. the right “supplementary hole” for the atomization is blocked 3. dirt on the outside of the material nozzle (on the right side) C: Heavy pattern on top 1 dirton the outside of the material nozzle 2. dirton the inside of the material nozzle (the underside) D: Heavy pattern on bottom 1 dirt on the outside of the material nozzle 2 dirt on the inside of the material nozzle (the upper side) E: Single split pattern 1 the atomization pressure has not been adjusted to the material pressure (too high air pressure compared to the material pressure) F: Heavy centre pattern 1 to narrow adjustment of the spreader control valve 2 100 low atomization pressure 3. toohigh viscosity . 4 too high material pressure compared with the capacity of the material nozzle Adjustments of faults With A, B, C and D: First check if the fault is due to the air cap. This is done by rotating the air cap 180° and make a new test application. If the fault follows the aircap round, the reason is the air cap and we look for the fault here. Otherwise, we look for the fault in the material nozzle. With E and F: If the adjustment for material and air is correct, the atomization air, material pres- sure and spray angle are adjusted until the desired spray pattern is obtained. Other types of faults The gun spits, i.e. the spray pattern becomes uneven and spluttering. When the material supply takes place through suction cups, the reasons may be that the paint is too thick (too high viscosity) the air hole at the top of the cup is partly clogged the connecting nut at the fluid inlet of the gun is loose or damaged loose or damaged nozzle that the suction pipe strikes the bottom of the cup that the fluid needle seal is in poor condition or that the seal unit is loose 5S APPLICATION OF COATINGS AND LININGS 163In case the paint is pressure fed, the reasons may be clogged material ducts loose or damaged nozzle too little fluid in the container Any leakage from the nozzle is due to the fact that the fluid needle is not sufficiently ight due to wear or damaged fluid needle or nozzle contamination in the nozzle that the fluid needle screw has been fastened too tight that the fluid needle spring is damaged incorrect size of fluid needle Any leakage from the fluid needle may be due to loose seal unit worn down or dry fluid needle seal Any air leakage at the nozzle is due to an insufficiently tight air valve, which is due to dirt or particles on the valve or in the valve system wear and tear or damage of the valve or in the valve system that the air valve spring has broken poor lubrication that the air valve seal is too tight the seal is damaged Defects in the paint or varnished surface The orange peel effect The causes for this phenomenon are many. A general cause is too little thinner or a wrong thinner. Other causes could be poor atomization, the paint is too thick too high atomization pressure too great a distance between the spraying gun and the object too much ventilation, the paint dries too fast Striped pattern The spray gun is not held perpendicular to the object. The air cap or material nozzle is not clean. Split spray pattern. Sagging The viscosity is too low. The gun is too close to the object. The trigger is not used correctly. The gun is kept in a sloping line downwards or upwards The feed rate is too high. 164 Corrosion PROTECTIONExcessive formation of spray mist Too high atomization pressure Too thin paint Too great a distance between the gun and the object Blisters in the paint or varnish coat Air leakage from the air ducts into the fluid ducts Porous substrate Too high atomization of the material Water in the atomization air Defective spray patterns associated with high pressure spraying Persistent claims can be difficult to defend. We will anyway dare to claim that a great many of the paint applicators who use high pressure equipment in many cases, maybe in most cases, are not 100% satisfied with the spray pattern. In most cases, the reason is due to fingers and rattails. It may almost seem as if a correct spray pattern is not possible to obtain, it is mere luck! Rattails cause localised over thickness such as thick stripes and'in the worst case sagging and pinholes. Fingering causes a low film thickness and poor or no film formation between the fingers. And what does the paint applicator does about it? In most cases nothing or he cross sprays to build up the film thickness in the sections, where there is a low film thickness. What will be the result if he is to spray apply a topcoat in a dry film thickness of 75 microns and therefore has to apply a wet film in a thickness of 100 to 125 microns? Should.he cross spray and end up in a thickness being above that which is acceptable or should he spray to repair the defects in the spray pattern as they appear? Fingers and rattails often occur simultaneously especially when small nozzles and a narrow spraying fan have been used, but the solution to the problems is not necessarily quite the same. Under “corrective actions” there are suggestion as on how to correct the five most common faults included in the drawing below. In part “A”, which shows rattails, reducing the nozzle size has been mentioned as a possi- ble solution. This may be a solution to rattails, but will not solve the problem with fingers. If the two problems occur at the same time, reducing the nozzle size does not solve the entire problem. To eliminate the problems with fingers, the nozzle size must be increased as well as the pressure. The problem is just that the nozzle has been selected on the basis of the object that is to be sprayed and the recommendations given in the technical data sheet. Furthermore, we are talking about a major increase in size. For example an in- crease from 15/1000” to 21/1000” combined with an increase of pressure. One solution could be to increase the nozzle size by two sizes at the same time as in- creasing the spray fan angle and the pressure. The most safe solution, however, is to adjust the viscosity by thinning or prefer- ably by heating. 5 APPLICATION OF COATINGS AND LININGS 165 SeeSIEEseetERIETESETESsSTESSSECESIESESILESIES SITESTEIEEITESSSIETIECESTEERSeveral types of defects can appear in connection with airless spraying. Below we have chosen to concentrate a bit on some of the most common defects that occur in connection with high pressure spraying. Fig 5-16 Most common faults in connection with high pressure spraying . “Rattails” Broken spray pattern due to . low atomization pressure Jow flow rate of the paint through the nozzle the paint viscosity is too high per> Thick paint film in the centre due to worn-out nozzle the paint is not possible to apply using airless pre C. Asymmetrical spray angle due to 1. partially obstructed or worn-out nozzle . A spraying fan that expands/shrinks due to . pulsating paint supply inadequate air supply to the pump . leakage in the suction part of the pump . inadequate pump capacity . the paint viscosity is too low WRORAY . Round spray angle due to = worn-out nozzle . the paint is too heavy compared with the size of the nozzle orifice . the paint is not possible to apply by airless spraying eRe ’. The gun spits . air in the system . dirt in the nozzle . the valve-closing device has not been adjusted - cracks in the valve seat aeNes G. The gun cannot close 1. dirtin the closing seat of the gun 166 Corrosion PROTECTION2. worn out valves or cracks in the valve seat 3. the packings round the valve rod are too tight or too dry H. P: will not flow from the gun 1. blockage of the system or loss of air from the pump 2. filters have been blocked by paint 3. worn-out valve device preventing the trigger from opening the valve Corrective actions A. “Rattails” 1. increase the paint pressure 2. decrease the nozzle size 3. reduce the paint viscosity 4. clean gun and filter 5, reduce the number of guns fitted to the pump B. Too thick paint film in the centre 1. corrective actions as described above 2. change to air atomization C. Twisted fan 1. clean or change nozzle D. Fan that expands/shrinks 1. change to a smaller nozzle size 2. reduce the number of guns fitted to the pump 3. increase the inlet pressure of the pump 4, remove anything that blocks the system. Remove filters and use a larger pump 5. check for any leakage in the system 6. the paint viscosity is too high E. Round fan 1. change worn-out nozzle or change to a smaller size 2. increase paint pressure 3. thin paint 4. change inner orifice type 5. change to air atomization Air-assisted high pressure and HVLP high pressure Air-assisted high pressure is a method in which the principles of airless and con- ventional (air atomization) are mixed in order to obtain special, desired properties and effects. The combination causes some loss of the advantages of each method whereas other advantages are combined and in the long term, enhanced. The com- bination considerably reduces some of the disadvantages. 5 APPLICATION OF COATINGS AND LININGS 167We now have a spraying method, which to a great extent fills the gap between airless spraying and conventional spraying. Manufacturers of spraying equipment have put their names to this method. Therefore, English terms like “airmix” and “air-coat” can be found in brochures, equipment catalogues, articles and other lit- erature referring to this method. The principle of this method is that an airless spray pumps paint to the gun and the nozzle system where some atomization takes place in the high-pressure nozzle. The hydraulic pressure may vary within wide limits from 1.0 MPa to 13.0 MPa. The, not fully, atomized paint then is then mixed with the air from the air cap in the conventional part of the gun in where atomization takes place. If we take a look at the advantages lost with this method, then in the case of airless spraying it is first and foremost the loss of spraying capacity, but also the ability to spray paints that are possible to atomize to a high degree. In case of conventional spraying, the superior ability of the equipment to finely distribute the material is lost. One disadvantage that is reduced is the spray mist that is formed during air atomization. Air-assisted high pressure spraying provides finer atomization and a more uniform surface than is the case with airless spraying only. If airless spray equipment or equipment for air-assisted high pressure spraying is mixed with HVLP, the system will assume the advantages that HVLP has. The spray mist is further reduced, the spray fan becomes soft and spraying will be easy to control. In some cases, a certain reduction in the spraying velocity compared to conventional air- assisted high pressure can be expected. Electrostatic spraying (Wet varnish/ paint) The facilities can be based on an airless technique, a conventional technique or air- assisted high pressure. ‘The principle for electrostatic spraying is that the paint or vanish is electrostaticly charged by electronic voltage generated by a high-voltage generator. The generator often consists of a separate unit, which supplies one or more spray guns or it may be built into the body of a handgun as a mini-generator. Electrostatic spraying is especially well suited to automatic application of paint and varnishes onto mass- produced articles and components having a complicated geometry from very small items to large vehicles. ‘The handguns are portable and are used in the workshop as well as outdoors. They are now shipped with several types of nozzles, also HVLP. The spray pattern can be adjusted in length and shape from round to fan-shaped spray patterns. The capacity of the handguns is of course small compared to facilities with several automatic guns. Before spraying begins, the object to be sprayed is earthed. The atomized, posi- tively charged paint or varnish is consequently attracted to the object, settles onto the surface and spreads out to form a uniform film. Certain repulsion due to some- thing called the Faraday effect takes place inside corners. Consequently, extra care- ful spraying of these areas should be carried out in order to obtain the desired film thickness. 168 Corrosion PROTECTIONAs is the case with other methods of spraying, the gun or the object or both must be kept in motion to enable the paint or varnish to settle onto the desired surfaces, for example to cover the rear side of large-diameter pipes. For automatic spraying of parts having a complex geometry or large surfaces, high-speed rotating bells or discs (plates) which atomize the paint or varnish are generally used. When combin- ing the centrifugal powers with the electrostatic powers, excellent material distri- bution and penetration properties are obtained. Since the paint or the varnish is attracted to the object, electrostatic spraying is economical material-wise. Earthed spray object Figure 5.17 Gun for electrostatic high pressure spraying Preheating c Preheating of material is used in many spraying processes to reduce the viscosity. This enhances the transportation in the system and atomization. Other advantages with hot spraying: We do not need to thin down the paint. Consequently, health hazards are re- duced. A larger part of the solvents than usual evaporates on the way from the nozzle to the surface. We can apply a thinner wet film and at the same time obtain the desired dry film thickness. The atomization pressure can be reduced resulting in less spray dust and loss. Disadvantages of preheating paint: A certain risk of dry spraying. Entrapped bubbles and through-going pores have been observed in many high- build paints, Paints based on vinyl and chlorinated rubber may liberate chlorine gasses. More equipment requires more cleaning and maintenance. The heating equipment is a heat exchanger (preheater), a heated container, for ex- ample a water or oil bath or a heating cable. ‘A preheater is used for heating of paints, which are more or less viscose, but fluid. The preheater is placed after the material outlet, for example on the high- pressure spray. The paint is able to receive heat direct from an electrical heater. Or it may be heated by convection. If this is the case, the paint receives heat from another medium, for example water or oil. Heating cables are attached to the paint hose. In order to keep the water or oil warm, hoses or heating cables are insulated. After the paint has passed through the heater, it is transported directly to the gun 5 APPLICATION OF COATINGS AND LININGS 169and is sprayed onto the substrate. The paint can also be returned (recirculated) provided two hoses have been attached to the gun. It is common practice to allow the paint to circulate between the pump and heater in an inner closed circuit or between the pump, heater and the container in an “open” circuit. Some paints, for example some types of solvent-free epoxies, have so high a viscosity that they must be preheated to enable the supply pump to transport the material to the main pumps. This kind of heating takes place in a container by convection. idea ddedtat Figure 5.18 Evaporation of solvents Literature 1 CG Munger: Corrosion prevention by protective coatings, NACE, Texas, 1984 170° CorroSION PROTECTIONCheck questions 1 What is meant by stripe coating and touch-up? 2 Accrane alongside a quay in a busy harbour is to be painted. How would you prevent spray dust from damaging vehicles and buildings? 3 a) Do you see any disadvantages of using plastic foil as masking material? b) What will you use to mask off the anodes on a ship? State your reasons for your choice. 4 You are to paint a pipe inside a mountain tunnel. The pipe has a constant surface temperature of +7°C. The air temperature and the relative humidity in the tunnel is +15°C and 70% respectively and outdoors ~2°C and 75%. The paint can be applied and cured down to -5°C and 85% RH. You have no access to a dehumidification unit. How would you paint the pipe when the surface temperature must be minimum 3°C above the dew point? 5 a) Whatis the influence of the temperature on the viscosity in a paint? b) How would you adjust the viscosity (prepare for spraying) a paint that is cold? 6 How can we remove scratches and blisters after application by roller? 7 What advantages and disadvantages do you find most important in case of a) conventional spraying b) airless spraying 8 Itis rightly claimed that an airless gun under pressure and without an atomi- zation nozzle is dangerous. Why? 9 Why must we always keep the spray gun in motion when we pull the trigger and when we release the trigger? 10 Evaluate spraying with air-assisted high pressure and HVLP high pressure compared with conventional spraying and airless spraying. Explain the ad- vantages and disadvantages of the methods. 5 APPLICATION OF COATINGS AND LININGS 1741