400 Surface Preparation

Abstract
Normally, the coating system dictates the method and amount of surface prepara-
tion. The life of a protective coating is directly related, however, to how well it
adheres to the surface. Good adhesion, in turn, occurs when the surface has been
prepared properly for coating. Surface preparation includes anticipating and stipu-
lating corrective actions for potential problems and removing mill scale, rust, dirt,
oil, loose paint, markings from crayons or spray paint, and other foreign materials.
In contrast to the 2 to 5 percent of coating failures due to improper coating selec-
tion [1], 70 to 90 percent of coating failures result from inadequate surface prepara-
tion.[2, 3] These failures can be reduced by specifying appropriate methods,
standards, and inspection for surface preparation.
There are several methods of surface preparation for steel and other metal
substrates. Not all methods for surface preparation fit all situations: some methods
are very expensive and very slow, to the point of delaying operations. Others might
adversely affect the environment.
While the information in this section applies to the surface preparation of steel and
other metal substrates only, there is also information about preparing special
surfaces in other sections of this manual:
• Section 600, Concrete
• Section 800, Offshore
• Section 900, Pipeline

Contents Page

410 Surface Preparation in General 400-3

411 Shop versus Field Surface Preparation
412 Fabrication Details
420 Methods of Surface Preparation 400-4
421 Chemical Cleaning
422 Dry-abrasive Blasting
423 Air-Abrasive Wet Blasting
424 Water Blasting

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425 Mechanical-abrasive Blasting

426 Power and Hand Tools
427 New Technology
430 Standards & Specifications 400-12
431 Written Standards
432 Visual Standards
440 Selection Criteria 400-14
450 Preparing Steel Substrates 400-15
451 Immersion Service
452 Non-immersion Service
460 Preparing Other Metal Substrates 400-18
470 References 400-19

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410 Surface Preparation in General

Surface preparation is the act of conditioning a substrate to receive a particular
coating that will protect it from its environment. The two main components of
surface preparation are cleanliness and surface profile.

Cleanliness
Probably the most important aspect of surface preparation, cleanliness involves
removing all foreign objects such as oil, grease, dirt, loose paint, and mill scale to
allow good adhesion of the coating. Improper adhesion is the major cause of prema-
ture coating failures. The more severe the environment, the cleaner the
substrate must be.
To measure cleanliness, the inspector compares the cleaned substrate to a set of
visual or written standards, or both.
Note Of the many industry standards, the most common are those developed by
the Steel Structures Painting Council (SSPC) and the National Association of
Corrosion Engineers (NACE). See the Quick Reference Guide.

Surface Profile
Surface profile is the result of an abrasive media hitting a surface at high velocity
from a mechanical apparatus or high-pressure air. The type of surface profile relates
to the abrasive media's velocity, mass, and shape. In Section 200, Figure 200-1
shows a relationship between the abrasive in air-blast equipment and the surface
profile.
Also called anchor pattern, surface profile is the peak-to-valley height of the micro-
scopic roughness caused by abrasive-blast cleaning. A profile is necessary to
achieve full adhesion of the coating to the steel; but, if it is too high, a profile can
cause holidays in thin coating systems. A proper profile is a compromise between
the pattern needed for adhesion and the height the coating system can cover.
Note As a rule of thumb:
• For a primer with a dry film thickness of less than 8 mils, the profile height
should be about half the thickness.
• For thicker primers, such as self-priming laminate systems, the profile should
be at least 3.5 mils.
Profiles below 1.5 and above 4.0 are difficult to achieve.
Profiles are specified in the system data sheets in the Quick Reference Guide and in
coating manufacturers' data sheets.

411 Shop versus Field Surface Preparation

In general, shop blasting is superior to field blasting. Some advantages of shop
blasting are as follows:

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• Superior surface preparation

Shop blasting usually produces an SSPC-SP10 finish instead of the field-achieved
SSPC-SP6. (Figure 400-1 describes these surface preparation standards.) Often,
shops prime the blasted surfaces to prevent rusting or contamination.
• Reduced potential for contaminating surrounding areas such as when field
blasting tanks in operating areas or near streets
• Lower costs of blasting and priming
• No delays due to weather

412 Fabrication Details

Before the surface preparation begins, inspectors should look for fabrication details
that will cause problems with either the coating's application or performance.
Examples: Skip welds, deep stencil marks, sharp edges, weld spatter, bolting.
NACE RP0178-91 is a good source of information about such problems.[4]

420 Methods of Surface Preparation

There are various methods and levels of intensity of surface preparation. The choice
depends on several factors: the type of structure and its exposure, the quality of the
coating, and the initial condition of the surface.
Among the methods discussed in this section are chemical cleaning, dry-abrasive
blasting, air-abrasive wet blasting, water blasting with abrasive injection, mechanical-
abrasive blasting, power-tool cleaning, hand-tool cleaning, and new technology.
Figure 400-2 compares the various methods and their production rates.

421 Chemical Cleaning

Chemical cleaning is the removal of oil, grease, salts, dirt, and other contaminants
with steam, solvents, detergents, chemicals, etc. See Figure 400-3 for a list of
typical contaminants and corresponding surface treatments.
Coatings applicators must remove these contaminants before beginning any blast-
cleaning operation to prevent their being worked into the steel surface and causing
premature coating failures.
The Steel Structures Painting Council has an excellent standard, SSPC-SP1, for the
chemical cleaning of structures. [5]

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Surface Preparation Specifications and Standards
Fig. 400-1
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Fig. 400-2 Methods of Surface Preparation and Their Production Rates

Production
Rate(1) in
Blasting or Cleaning Method Ft2/Hr Comments
Blasting Dry-abrasive Pressure 200 Best and most common method of
surface preparation.
Dry-abrasive Vacuum 20 Equally as good as pressure, but very
slow.
Wet-abrasive Pressure 200 Good method; wet surface can cause
problems with adhesion.
Water, High Pressure (3000 psi) 600 Good method for preparing any sound,
existing coatings for topcoating with a
surface-tolerant epoxy.
Water, Ultra High Pressure 200 Removes existing coatings; does not
(10,000 psi) create a surface profile.
Water, Abrasive Injection 200 Good method; wet surfaces can cause
adhesion problems.
Mechanical, Stationary Machine 500 Very good method but only in shop for
new construction.
Mechanical, Portable Machine 50 Good method but slow; on horizontal, flat
surfaces rate can be much higher.
New Technology (Ice, CO2, Baking 20 All methods can remove coatings in
Soda, Plastic Abrasives) sensitive areas; but they do not create
surface profiles.
New Technology (Infra-red), Peel- 10 Both can remove coatings in sensitive
away Strippers areas; but neither creates a surface
profile.
Cleaning Power Tool 100 Can clean to bare metal with a surface
profile SSPC-SP11; but production drops
to 20 sq. ft/hr.
Hand Tool 50 Mainly for cleaning small or hard-to-
reach areas on existing structures.
Notes: 1. Production rates are approximate and vary with surface conditions (mill scale, coated, rusted, etc.)
2. Production rates reflect the normal level of surface cleanliness required by the method for non-immersion service on both new
and existing structures.

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Fig. 400-3 Surface Preparation: Using Chemicals to Remove Contaminants

Contaminant Method
Oil, grease Wipe with solvent-soaked rags
Dirt, dust, salts Wash with high-pressure fresh water or
detergent. Rinse with fresh waster and dry
thoroughly before coating.
Mildew Scrub with solution of bleach and water in
ratio of 1:3. Rinse with fresh water and dry
thoroughly.

422 Dry-abrasive Blasting

There are two types of dry-abrasive blasting methods: pressure and vacuum system.
Note For immersion service, Chevron recommends only these two types of dry-
abrasive blasting.

Dry-abrasive Blasting under Pressure

The most common method of surface preparation, dry-abrasive pressure blasting
has the productivity and ability to produce an excellent surface condition for
coating.
Dry-abrasive pressure blasting is a process during which high-pressure (100 psi) air
hurls abrasive media against the substrate.
Note While people refer to this process as sandblasting, that term is incorrect
unless sand is the abrasive medium.
Dry-abrasive blasting not only cleans the surface but also produces a wide range of
surface profiles.

Dry-abrasive Blasting with Vacuum System

Dry-abrasive blasting with a vacuum system keeps the abrasive within a hooded
enclosure. This method produces the same level of cleanliness and surface profile
as dry-abrasive blasting under pressure and also:
• Shields the surrounding area from flying abrasive and dust
• Does not disturb adjacent machinery or workers
• Recycles its abrasive and produces less waste than dry-abrasive blasting under
pressure
The disadvantages of air-abrasive blasting with a vacuum system are as follows:
• Its cleaning speed is slow
• The surface is not visible to the operator
• It uses an expensive, recyclable abrasive
• The hood enclosure must always be held against the surface

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For stainless-steel substrates in non-immersion service, this is one of the best

methods of surface preparation available; but it is very slow and limited basically to
small areas in sensitive locations that cannot be pressure blasted.

423 Air-Abrasive Wet Blasting

Air-abrasive wet blasting is very similar to dry-abrasive blasting except that a
stream of water surrounds the abrasive.
The advantage of this method is that, while the water does not improve the
cleaning, it reduces the formation of dust while not noticeably reducing production
rates. Normal reduction in dust can be as much as 50 to 75 percent.
Water pressures range from 3,000 psi to 30,000 psi.
Note In this manual, Chevron has designated pressures under 10,000 psi as high-
pressure water blasting and pressures 10,000 psi and above as ultra-high-pressure
water blasting.
The main disadvantage of this method is that it leaves moisture on the surface
which, without a corrosion inhibitor added to the blast water, can cause rusting.
☞ Caution Corrosion inhibitors must be compatible with the coating system
selected and must be added according to manufacturers' recommendations; other-
wise, the inhibitors will cause coatings to fail prematurely.
Air-abrasive wet blasting should be used in situations where heavy dust is intolerable.

424 Water Blasting

Water blasting cleans the surface with a stream of high-pressure water. This method
does not, however, produce its own profile; but it can remove an existing coating
from a structure and expose the previous surface profile.
Example: 10,000 psi are necessary to remove existing coatings or loose mil scale.
The disadvantages are that water blasting:
• Does not produce a surface profile
• Leaves the surface wet so that the coatings applicator must add the proper
proportion of rust inhibitors compatible with the coating to prevent premature
failure of the coating

High-pressure Water Blasting (3,000 psi)

If the existing coating system still has a sound primer with less than ten percent
rusting, high-pressure water blasting should be the first alternative for surface prepa-
ration of stainless steel substrates in non-immersion service.
When high-pressure water blasting, the coatings applicator:
• Washes the surface with high-pressure water

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• Vacuum blasts or power-tool cleans any rusted areas left after cleaning the
surface
• Gives the bare steel areas an extra coat of surface-tolerant primer
The coatings applicator topcoats the cleaned surface with five to seven mils of
surface-tolerant primer, Systems 1.8 or 1.8.1. (See system data sheets in the Quick
Reference Guide.) Leave these primers without a top coat; but, for added protection
and gloss retention, topcoat them with two to three mils of polyurethane finish,
Systems 2.15 or 2.15.1.
This high-pressure (3,000 psi) method removes loose coating, dirt, and other mate-
rial. Its production rate is approximately three times faster than abrasive blasting to
SSPC-SP6.
The advantages are that, by leaving the existing tight coating, surface preparation
time and initial cost are reduced. The disadvantage is a shorter life for the coating
system.
For several years, the coating industry has been testing this method with good
results. As yet, there is no sufficiently long-term data to support the theory that this
method will last the more than ten years of an abrasive-blast system.
Note The Company has conducted some laboratory tests on six brands of surface-
tolerant coatings. Although the results are based on a preliminary evaluation, all
six coatings performed equally well. See Figure 400-4.

Fig. 400-4 Tested and Acceptable Surface-Tolerant Coatings

Manufacturer Brand
Ameron Amerlock 400
Amerlock 400L
Carboline Carbomastic 15
Carboline 801
Devoe Bar-Rust 235
Bar-Rust 239
Note: Coatings are listed in alphabetical order and do not suggest
ranking. All listed coatings ranked equally well in testing.

Ultra-high-pressure Water Blasting (over 10,000 psi)

Specify ultra-high-pressure water blasting for surfaces that:
• Need all the coating removed
• Cannot use any abrasive-blast method (wet or dry)
Its production rate is similar to all of the abrasive pressure blasting methods.

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Water Blasting with Abrasive Injection

Water blasting with abrasive injection thrusts abrasive into a stream of high-pres-
sure water at the nozzle. This method does produce a surface profile but at a much
slower production rate than dry-abrasive blasting.
Wet blasting with abrasive injection has the same problem with the potential for
corrosion as wet blasting and also solves that problem with inhibitors.
Use this method for reducing dust.

425 Mechanical-abrasive Blasting

There are both stationary and portable mechanical-abrasive machines. In both
cases, a rotating wheel centrifugally hurls abrasive on the surface at a high velocity.
As in dry-abrasive blasting, these methods clean the surface and produce a variety
of surface profiles.

Stationary Machines
Usually found only in fabrication shops, large machines blast clean a wide variety
of irregular and complex shapes. Operated properly, these machines can achieve the
same surface cleanliness and profile as dry-abrasive blasting but at a lower cost.
For new construction, consider having a fabrication shop prepare the surface and
prime the steel.

Portable Machines
Because of their size, portable machines are normally used on horizontal surfaces
primarily for surface preparation of concrete or steel floors. They have difficulty
reaching corners, fillets, or irregular areas. They are, however, found on the jobsite.
Portable machines are designed to contain all of the dust, abrasive, and contami-
nants. With properly operated portable machines, therefore, workers need neither
special protective clothing nor containment screens.

426 Power and Hand Tools

Power and hand tools produce a poor surface for coating; however, they are used
for repairing small, hard-to-reach areas. Another important reason for using power
or hand tools is to clean the rusted areas of a structure while leaving most of its
coating intact.
☞ Caution With these methods, select a surface-tolerant primer to improve
coating life.

Power Tools
There are three basic categories of power tools for cleaning, all of which clean the
surface and produce a surface profile but not to the quality of abrasive blast
cleaning:

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• Impact cleaning tools such as chipping hammers, scaling hammers, and

needle guns
• Rotary cleaning tools using three types of cleaning media: nonwoven abrasive,
wire brushes, and coated abrasive
• Rotary impact tools operating on the same principle as the other impact tools—
cutting, and chipping—and using three types of cleaning media: cutter bundles
(or stars), rotary hammers, and heavy duty rotary flaps

Hand Tools
As the name implies, this method involves cleaning with hand tools and is the least
desirable method, being one of the slowest and least effective.
Examples: Wire brushes, abrasive pads, scrapers, chisels, and knives.
☞ Caution When cleaning stainless steel with carbon steel wire brushes, the brush
wires can come loose and stick in the steel at welds, crevices, and flanges, where
they start a corrosion cell.

427 New Technology

Several new methods exist for cleaning steel substrates. While most are either in the
development stage or very expensive, they may be useful when normal methods of
surface preparation are not feasible.
The following discussion details the more promising techniques.

Blasting with Ice, CO2 Pellets, and Baking Soda

Initially developed for the U.S. Navy to descale ship hulls and remove paint from
aircraft, these blast media work with equipment similar to the common abrasive-
blast method. The main difference is the blast media.
The advantages of ice, CO2, pellets, and baking soda blast media are that:
• They create very little toxic waste or dust plumes
• Used properly, they can remove paint or other materials from delicate equipment
• CO2 pellets are non-conductive and have cleaned operating electrical equipment
The main disadvantages of ice, CO2 pellets, and baking soda as blast media are that:
• They have very low production rates
• They do not produce a surface profile
• CO2 pellet blasting can cool a steel substrate to subzero temperatures

Plastic Blasting
Similar to common abrasive blasting, plastic pellets are the blast medium. To date,
the aircraft industry is the only user; and they remove paint from airplanes with this
method. It produces negligible toxic waste or dust plumes.

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Its biggest disadvantages include:

• Low production rates
• No surface profile
• Ineffective at removing thick layers of epoxy coatings

Infra-red Light
Still under development and expensive, the concentrated infra-red light heats the
coating to combustion without affecting the substrate. This method does, however,
have some interesting properties as it:
• Removes coatings by the layer or all at once
• Leaves a small pile of ash as its only waste
Consider this method under the special circumstance of removing one layer of a
multi-layer coating.

Peel-away Stripper
Designed to remove lead-based coatings (LBC), this industrial-strength, alkaline-
based stripping material is sprayed on the substrate. Coatings applicators then
power wash or scrape off the coating.
Note Brush blasting is recommended to remove any vestiges of the stripper before
recoating.
Consider this method as a means of removing LBCs but not for removing general
industrial coatings. Because of the containment costs involved when abrasive
blasting LBCs, however, this stripper can be very cost effective.
The cost of removing the waste stream is the main disadvantage of this method.

430 Standards & Specifications

To ensure proper surface preparation, there are two important references: written
and visual descriptions of surface cleanliness and profile. Of the written and visual
standards available for surface preparation, those described below are easiest to
understand and follow.

431 Written Standards

The Steel Structures Painting Council (SSPC) has published surface preparation
specifications that are widely accepted by the coating industry.[5] The specifica-
tions define degrees of abrasive blasting, solvent cleaning, and hand- and power-
tool cleaning.
Because of the chronological order of definitions for surface preparation standards,
the SSPC numbering system is not consistent with the logical order of degrees of
cleanliness.

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Examples: SP-10 (near white) is better than SP-6 (commercial) but not as good as
SP-5 (white).
The National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE) adopted the SSPC defini-
tions for abrasive blasting, but renumbered them to improve their organization and
our retention of them. [6] Figure 400-1 gives numbers and short descriptions of the
SSPC and NACE specifications, along with corresponding Canadian, Swedish, and
British standards.
Note Although NACE adopted the SSPC abrasive blasting description, they did
not adopt the specifications for solvent, hand-tool, or power-tool cleaning.

432 Visual Standards

When specifying abrasive-blast cleaning, supplement written definitions with refer-
ences to visual standards. Although there are several standards, some are better than
others.
☞ Caution Do not substitute pictorial standards for a complete surface-preparation
specification, because the pictorial standard is based upon appearance only and
does not consider other factors such as surface profile, removing contaminants,
cleaning procedure, and re-rusting.
The Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME) has published
very good, color, pictorial standards for abrasive blasting.[7] A copy of these stan-
dards is appended to this manual. They are extremely useful, as they take into
account the effect of various original conditions on the appearance of the blast
cleaned surfaces.
The SSPC and ASTM adopted visual surface-preparation standards developed in
Sweden.[8] These standards, referred to as SSPC-Vis1 and ASTM D2200-85, are
not included in the manual. Instead, Chevron prefers the use of the SNAME stan-
dards, which are more complete and convenient.
NACE also sells visual standards in the form of plastic coated pieces of steel which
have been prepared to degrees of cleanliness corresponding to NACE Surface Prepa-
ration Specifications 1 through 4. Again, these comparative samples are extremely
useful in the field and are available from NACE. (See listings of resources in the
Quick Reference Guide.)
Brush blast, commercial blast, near-white metal blast, and white metal blast are
represented in all of the above visual standards. Variations in shade, tone, color,
pitting, mill scale, etc., are due to the original condition of the steel surface.
Consider and compensate for these variations when comparing the surface to the
visual standards.

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440 Selection Criteria

To select the most appropriate method of surface preparation, consider the type of
coating material now on the surface (e.g. lead-based), toxic wastes, the new coating
system that will be applied, cost, and sensitive areas.

Presence of Lead-based Coatings (LBC)

Answers to the following questions will help select the most cost-effective method
of surface preparation for a coatings project.
• If LBC's are present, do they need to be removed?
• What are the containment costs?
• Is the condition of the LBC good enough to be encapsulated?

Toxic Waste
The following questions highlight reasons for producing low amounts of toxic
waste.
• What are the disposal costs for toxic waste?
• Is there a possibility of contaminating nearby rivers, streams, lakes, or other
environmentally sensitive areas?

New Coating System

The coating system is one of the most important items to consider when selecting a
method of surface preparation. In this manual, the system data sheet (in the Quick
Reference Guide) for each coating lists the recommended method of surface prepa-
ration and the anchor pattern.
Another source of information about the level of cleaning and the surface profile is
the manufacturers' data sheet.

Costs
Short- versus long-term costs can also dictate the method of the surface preparation.
• Is it more important to reduce today's cost by selecting a surface preparation
method that could lead to early repair or replacement of the coating?
• Is it better to spend more money today on premium surface preparation and
have the coating system last longer?
See also Economics in Section 300 of this manual.

Sensitive Areas
Sensitive equipment or other items in the vicinity of the jobsite may influence the
choice of surface preparation.
Examples: The possibility of abrasive-blast media entering the air intakes of
rotating equipment or potential over-blasting of nearby automobiles.

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450 Preparing Steel Substrates

451 Immersion Service

Immersion service needs the best possible surface preparation because it is usually
the most severe service for a coating system.

New & Existing Construction

For both new and existing surfaces in immersion service, Chevron recommends:
• Dry-abrasive blasting as the only method of surface preparation for immersion-
service coatings
• SSPC-SP5 (white metal blast) for surface cleanliness
☞ Caution Some coating manufacturers will accept SSPC-SP10 (near white metal
blast) which Chevron finds unacceptable.
The blast medium is the only change recommended for these surface-preparation
methods. If contaminated substrates can turn the blast medium into a toxic waste,
there are two possible solutions:
• Select an abrasive medium with the lowest concentration of contaminates that
are regulated in the local area. If low enough, the contaminates from the
blasting operation may not make the blast medium a toxic waste.
• If the preceding solution will not work, consider a recycled abrasive-blast
system, usually a combination of steel shot and grit. Because the abrasive is
cleaned and reused, the only waste produced is the material removed from the
substrate which can be as much as one-tenth of normal dry-abrasive blasting.
☞ Caution Recycled abrasive blast systems are very expensive because workers use
them when working in contained areas with abrasive that must be collected and
cleaned. When working on a coatings project that may involve these systems,
initiate a cost analysis to weigh the cost of waste disposal against the cost of a
recycle system.
Note For coating projects in California, recycled blasting systems are becoming
more common as the cost of waste disposal increases.

Existing Construction
Tanks which have been in service and are corroded may need a considerable
amount of patching to restore the bottoms or shells to an acceptable condition
before applying an internal coating. Plug welding, weld overlaying, or patching
with plate are all acceptable, depending on the size of the area to be repaired.
Stipulate that all surfaces be ground smooth and all sharp corners rounded off
(minimum radius: one-eighth inch) to allow good coating coverage.
Note This requirement applies to all areas of the tank, not just to repairs.

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Pitted areas may be repaired either by welding or by filling with putty as described
below.
☞ Caution If coatings applicators are not going to carry out the restoration, one of
them should be made responsible for ensuring that the restoration is completed
properly before they begin abrasive blasting.
Solvent cleaning prior to abrasive blasting is very important for tanks that have
been in service; otherwise, an oily residue remains after blasting and causes prob-
lems with coating adhesion.
Remove other types of residue such as soluble salts with a water or detergent wash
before blasting. Soluble salts can cause the coating to blister; osmotic pressure
causes water to diffuse through the coating more rapidly, to dilute the salts.
Repairing Pits with Putty. A smooth surface is necessary to achieve a coating of
uniform thickness; however, the thicker the coating, the less sensitive it is to small
irregularities in the surface.
For thin-film coatings, even small pits can become sites of early failure. It is very
important to fill sharp, pitted areas properly.
Note Surfaces roughened by relatively uniform corrosion may be acceptable
without any putty.
The shape of the pits is the most important factor when determining the need for
filling. Do not fill wide, shallow pits with rounded edges. Always fill narrow, deep
pits with sharp edges.
Note It is usually easier to fill all the pits rather than to decide which ones to fill
and which ones not to fill.
The coatings applicators should grind and round off sharp corners or edges before
abrasive blasting. They should also apply an extra coat over these areas and over all
welds to prevent thin spots. Rivet seams require a coat of seam sealer to fill in all
the gaps around the rivets.
Spray-applied glass-flake coatings are generally less sensitive to small irregularities
than thin-film coatings. Trowel-applied glass-flake coatings are so much thicker
that the coatings applicator needs to fill only relatively large pits.
Laminate coatings are much more sensitive at corners and edges than at small pits,
because the fiberglass mat cannot conform to sharp changes in direction.
The application details in Section 14 of Specification COM-MS-4738 require a
gradual slope or radius at all direction changes. Fill the larger pits to provide a
smooth working surface for the coating; a rough surface causes many up-turned
fibers which the coatings applicator must sand before applying the final layer.
Putties and sealers are specified on the system data sheets in the Quick Reference
Guide.

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452 Non-immersion Service

New Construction
Whenever possible for new construction in non-immersion service, choose a surface-
preparation system that produces a surface profile and cleanliness equal to or better
than SSPC-SP6 (commercial blast). This means dry-abrasive or mechanical-
abrasive blasting methods.
☞ Caution Some coating manufacturers claim that SSPC-SP2 or SP3 (hand- or
power-tool cleaning) is sufficient for their coatings; however, experience has shown
that improved surface cleanliness can increase the life of a coating from 50 to
100 percent.
Most fabrication shops have stationary and portable mechanical-abrasive machines,
capable of preparing a surface for coating at one-third the cost of field preparation.
☞ Caution The only disadvantage with shop blasting is that the steel substrate will
rerust if not primed immediately.
If the specified coating system includes an IOZ primer, have it applied in the shop
immediately after blasting. IOZ primers are very durable and will resist the abuse
of shipping and installation.
Other primers (alkyds, epoxies, urethane, etc.) are not as durable as IOZ and
require a considerable amount of touch up after shipping and installation. The
amount of touch up may be equal to or greater than the savings from shop blasting.
If the new steel has tightly adhering mill scale, it might be cost effective to have it
shop blasted and primed with a one-mil-thick, fast-dry, shop primer to prevent
rerusting. After shipping and installation, a light abrasive blast will remove the shop
primer. Depending on the original condition of the steel substrate, this approach
could be more economical than the field blasting necessary to achieve the specified
anchor profile and cleanliness.

Existing Structures
Surface preparation is extremely important; in some cases, the life of the coating
has doubled as a result of changing the preparation from power-tool cleaning (SP3)
to abrasive blasting (SP6).
For the best, long-term, coating performance, complete surface preparation by dry-
abrasive blasting to a cleanliness of SSPC-SP6 (commercial blast) for existing struc-
tures in non-immersion service.
Blasting in the field can be very expensive or impossible, however, so Chevron
recommends several alternative methods: high-pressure water blasting, dry-abrasive
vacuum blasting, hand- and power-tool cleaning, air-abrasive wet blasting, and
water blasting with abrasive injection, ultra-high-pressure water blasting, and new
technology.

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Each of these methods is described in another part of this section. See also Figure
400-2 for a list of all methods of surface preparation, production rates, and other
comments.

Alternative Methods of Surface Preparation

If dry-abrasive blasting is not feasible and an alternative is necessary, study the
project to find the answers to questions about the conditions and restraints, such as:
• What is the condition of the existing coating?
• Is the coating system exposed to a mild or severe environment, i.e., desert or
heavy industrial?
• How long must the coating system last?
• Can the coating system be easily repaired?
• Is it more cost effective to save money today through less surface preparation
and accept a shorter coating life?
• Is it more cost effective to spend the extra money today for surface preparation
that will give the longest coating life?
• How does waste disposal impact coating costs?
• How will surface preparation impact surrounding equipment?
• How will surface preparation impact the environment?

460 Preparing Other Metal Substrates

Galvanized Iron and Steel
Galvanizing offers sufficient protection from atmospheric corrosion so that coating
is unnecessary and is generally for aesthetics.
Because there are chemical and physical differences between galvanized steel
and bare steel, special surface preparation is necessary to establish a good bond
between the galvanizing and the coating. This surface preparation consists of two
steps:
1. A solvent cleaning to remove oil
2. An application of a vinyl butyral wash primer (System 1.7) prior to topcoating
For rusted or previously painted galvanized steel, the coatings applicator should
solvent clean and then wire brush the surface to remove deposits before applying
the wash primer.

Uncoated Stainless Steel

Uncoated stainless steel does not need coating for corrosion protection. If coated
for aesthetics or protection from chloride attack, the surface preparation is the same

September 1996 400-18 Chevron Corporation

Coatings Manual 400 Surface Preparation

as for carbon steel; however, blasting is only needed to produce an anchor pattern,
not to remove rust.

All Previously Coated Surfaces

Previously coated surfaces need proper preparation for good coating performance.
Generally, brush-off blasting is sufficient:
• For surfaces with spot rusting or flaking, peeling, or blistering coating
• To roughen hard or glossy surfaces to obtain good adhesion

470 References
1. Griffiths, J. Dave. “Coatings Application: Is Compromise Necessary Between
Manufacturers' Recommendations and Repair Yard Practice.” Shipcare and
Maritime Management. May 1980: pp. 27-30.
2. Weismantel, Guy E. “Paints and Coatings for CPI Plants and Equipment.”
Chemical Engineering. April 20, 1981: pp. 130-143.
3. National Association of Corrosion Engineers. “Causes and Prevention of Coat-
ings Failures.” NACE Publication 6D170. Item 54192. March 1979: pp. 32-36.
4. National Association of Corrosion Engineers. Fabrication Details, Surface
Finish Requirements, and Proper Design Considerations for Tanks and Vessels
to be Lined for Immersion Service. NACE RP0178. 1991.
5. Steel Structures Painting Council. Surface Preparation Specifications.
January 1971.
6. National Association of Corrosion Engineers, Standards of Task Group T-6 G-2,
November 17, 1962.
7. The Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers. Abrasive Blasting Guide
for Aged Coated Steel Surfaces, Technical and Research Bulletin No. 4-21.
New York, April 1986.
8. Swedish Academy of Sciences. Photographic Standards, 1967 ed.

Chevron Corporation 400-19 September 1996