Guide to Surface Preparation

Good surface preparation maybe considered to be the most important part

of the entire coating process, in that the greatest percentage of coating
failures can be traced directly to poor surface preparation.

All paint systems will fail prematurely unless the surface has been properly
prepared to receive the coating.

If contaminants such as loose rust, oil, grease, dirt, salts, chemicals,

dust, etc. are not removed from the surface to be coated, adhesion
will be compromised and/or osmotic blistering will occur in addition
to premature failure of the coating in service.

No paint system will give optimum performance over a poorly prepared

surface. An Osmotic blistering is the formation of liquid-filled, dome or
spherical-shaped raised areas of coating. An osmotic blister develops if
moisture or a low-concentration solution from the environment diffuses or
passes through the semi-permeable coating to form a high-concentration
solution with the salt or other contamination on the substrate surface.
This improved flow chart shown below can make the paint application
become more comprehensive, concise and efficient
Fouling assessment

Coating advisor

IMPROVED FLOW CHART FOR SHIP PAINT APPLICATION

Vessel comes into dock
Underwater Hull Pre-cleaning Assessment
[IN DETAIL]

The step for the inspection process is to conduct an underwater

assessment of the fouling growth that has occurred since the last
inspection and evaluate the coating condition. This will be completed
before any hull cleaning is performed.[ IN THE PRESENSE OF CLASS]

Normally, ship hull can be divided into 6 quadrants

a. The six quadrants are: I - starboard forward, II - starboard aft, III - port
aft, IV - port forward, V - starboard waterline, and VI – port waterline.

1.Fouling Assessment
Fouling growth on each ship’s hull will be evaluated on a 0 – 5 scale.
0 represents the optimal condition and 5 the worst condition.
Table 1 determines the numeric ratings and provides a description of what
type of fouling growth is associated with each rating.
The paint maker’s inspector will record the fouling rating for each quadrant
and provide any additional observations or comments, such as noting the
type of fouling present on the hull surface.

Table 1: Fouling rating scale

Rating Fouling Growth

0 No silting, bio-film or fouling growth present.

1 Light silting or bio-film. Little to no discoloration; Paint surface

still clearly visible beneath.

2 Heavy bio-film; Light to moderate silting as indicated by

discoloration (a solid, discernible, physical layer); Painted
surface may be slightly obscured.
3 Low to medium levels of fouling present; Dark algae
impregnation; Hard growth may be present (tubeworms,
barnacles, bryozoans, etc.); Painted surface definitely
obscured.

4 Medium to high levels of fouling present; Hard growth present,

 such as tubeworms, barnacles, bryozoans, etc.;

Macro-foulers may include mature forms that may be densely

grouped; Paint surface no longer visible beneath fouling in
areas.

5 High levels of fouling present; Lengthy, soft algae and

hard, tube worms and possibly barnacles impregnating the
coatings;

Macrofoulers may be densely grouped; Coral** growth can be

seen to extend out from the hull; Paint surface no longer
visible beneath fouling.

*0 is best condition; 5 is worst condition; ** Coral is the local term used for
limestone tubes of worms that grow on the coating’s surface.

2 . Coating condition assessment-Table 2

Coating condition for the entire hull need to be evaluated based on Table
2 which identifies the rating scale of coating condition.

The colour of undercoat also need to be recorded when the coating was
applied to the ship hull.

Ratings of 1-3 represent antifouling painted surface appearance

associated with normal physical wear due to underwater cleaning
action or hydrodynamic effects.

Ratings 4 and 5 indicate either excessive cleaning actions or

blistering due to internal failure of the paint system.

Table 2: Coating condition rating scale

Coating Condition Coating Description
Rating
1 Antifouling paint intact, new or slick finish. May have a mottled
pattern of light and dark portions of the original paint colour.

2 Shine is gone or surface lightly etched. No physical failures.

3 Physical failure on up to 20% of hull. Coating may be missing

from slightly curved or flat areas to expose underlying coating.
 Coating has visible swirl marks within the outermost layer, not
extending into any underlying layers of paint.

4 Physical failure of coating on 20-50% of bottom. Coating missing

from slightly curved or flat areas to expose underlying coating.

Coating missing from intact blisters or blisters which have ruptured

to expose underlying coating layer(s).
Visible swirl marks expose underlying coating layer.

5 Physical failure of coating on over 50% of bottom. Coating

missing from intact blisters or blisters which have ruptured to
expose the underlying coating layer(s).
Visible swirl marks exposed underlying coating layer.

When the paint is applied to the exterior layer to a ship hull, it is subject to a
variety of parameters that can degrade the paint and reduce its useful life-
span.

These parameters need to be taken into consideration during ship paints

application

Condition of ship hull (side shell area) prior to

grit blasting
Next, the Owner’s representative will mark out the corroded area for
blasting based on rust grade and shall discuss it with the Yard’s Painting
executive.
There are four types of rust condition .
When all parties had agreed on the total blast area and the blasting grade,
a Proposed Side Shell Blasting and Painting Area shall be signed and
endorsed.

Shipyard shall draw up a work schedule based on the agreed areas and
instruct the blasting contractor to proceed with the blasting works. The
blasting time of inspection is usually divided into two sessions, once before
noon and another late in the evening.

This is to allow sufficient time for the blasters to produce a larger blast area
so that paint is mixed and applied , there will not be much wastage for the
coverage.
Surface Cleanliness.

The extent to which a surface is made clean before the coating is

applied, is a balance between

 the expected performance of the coating,

 the paint manufacturers recommendations,
 the time available for the job,
 the relative cost of the various surface preparation methods available,
 the condition of the steel prior to surface preparation.

OR IN OTHER WORDS
The parameters which need to be considered during application of the
paints to the ship hull include surface preparation, paint application,
paint materials, curing time, environmental conditions, locations,
personal quality, inspections and others.

Any substance which prevents a coating from adhering directly to

the steel can be considered a contaminant. Major contaminants at
new building include:

 Moisture or water.
 Oil and grease.
 Ionic species from the nearby sea and industrial areas.
 White rust (zinc salts from weathered zinc silicate shop
primers).
 Weld spatter.
 Weld fume.
 Cutting fume.
 Burn through from welding on the reverse side of the steel.
 Dust and dirt from the yard site and from neighbouring
industrial processes.

 Hull cleaning
 There are various methods available for cleaning and preparing steel
surfaces prior to painting.
  Hull cleaning includes hard scrape and fresh water washing. Hard
scraping shall be carried out to remove slimes, weeds, shells,
barnacles, etc.

SCRAPING OUT BARNACLES , AND OTHER SEA GROWTH

Besides that, approved detergents shall be used to remove any

oil or grease present on the hull.

Surface Cleaning and Conditioning.

There are many methods currently available for the cleaning and preparation
of steel surfaces prior to painting. The choice of preparation method will
depend upon the areas of the vessel to be prepared and the equipment
available.
For example in a dry dock, the outer hull may be prepared by
abrasive or water blasting before paint is applied.

Soluble salt removal

One of the major causes of coating blistering is the presence of retained

soluble material, such as salt, on metal surfaces before painting. For some
types of paint, such as chemical, cargo and ballast tank coatings, the level of
soluble salts present is crucial to the long term performance of the coating.

Whilst salts are easily removed from flat surfaces by water washing, it is the
salts which become trapped in cracks in the coating, under old paint
and rust and in pits in the steel surface. Such residual salts will cause
blistering or detachment of the new coating, if not removed. High
pressure water washing will remove the majority of these trapped
salts, if carried out effectively.

Paint manufacturers specify the level of soluble salts which may be present
on the surface before coating application and these will vary depending upon
the paint itself and its service environment.

Salt test
The purpose of carrying out the salt test is to prevent coating failure due to
effects of salt elements on the surface before coating.
In order to prevent the defect, salt test is carried out to measure the level of
salt and to make sure that salt content is at minimum level. Normally, salt
test is carried out by using “Bresle kit sampler”.
Maxm.: 30ppm

Solvent Cleaning
Photograph2. Oil & grease stain stains during block assembly show
as dark stains on the shop primer.

This is a process of using solvents or other cleaning compounds, to remove

oil, grease and other similar contaminants.

This process is best utilised as a preliminary step in the total surface

preparation procedure, since subsequent cleaning processes, such as
abrasive blasting, may simply spread some of the contaminants more thinly
over the surface rather than completely removing them.

Solvents are not the preferred cleaner recommended by paint companies for
large areas of contaminants, as they may become an impediment rather
than a help if not properly removed. A proprietary, water soluble, oil
and grease remover followed by copious fresh water washing is the
preferred method of achieving this standard.

Brush application should be avoided, or the oil is simply spread over a larger
area, as shown in the photograph.
Photograph 3. Poor removal of oil contamination using a
brush. The dark area at the top of the photograph shows the extent
of oil contamination after cleaning.

*****************************************************************

Surface Preparation Standards

The following table provides a summary of Surface Preparation Standards

and a cross-reference of those Standards by various world-wide
agencies. .

These standards are limited to steel substrates, many of the techniques,

with their inherent advantages and disadvantages, hold true for other
substrates.

Summary of Visual Preparation Standards.[Refer Pg.12 for Sa details]

Cleaning Description (Summary) Swedish SSPC JSRA NACE

method / ISO
Abrasive White metal/visually clean Sa 3 SP 5 1
blast
Sh/Sd 3
Near white metal/very Sa 2.5 SP 10 2
thorough clean
Sh/Sd 2
Commercial/thorough clean Sa 2 SP 6 3
Sh/Sd 1
Brush/light blast Sa 1 SP 7 4

Hydroblast SP 12 5
 Sa 2.5 equivalent **
Sa 2 equivalent **
Power tool Very thorough cleaning St 3 SP 3 Pt 3
Thorough cleaning St 2 SP 2 Pt 2

Hand tool Very thorough cleaning St 3 SP 3

Thorough cleaning St 2 SP 2

Comparison of visual preparation standards.

** = An ISO standard is in preparation, based on the International Coatings

standards.
ISO = ISO 8504:1992(E) and 8501-1:1998(E) and 8501-2:1994;8501-1-
2007
Swedish = SIS 05 59 00 (1967),
SSPC = Steel Structures Painting Council (now the Society for Protective
Coatings).
JSRA = Japan Shipbuilding Research Association – Standard 1984
Where: Sh = shot blasting
Sd = sand blasting
NACE = National Association of Corrosion Engineers

√ Standards for Abrasive Blast Cleaning

It should be noted that the majority of the standards such as ISO or JSRA
for steel preparation, are based on a visual assessment of the surface
condition only.

Note that it is possible for steel to appear visually clean whilst a

sufficiently high level of soluble salt contamination remains on the
surface, to cause blistering of the paint when the vessel is in service.

The following standards are used for judging the surface cleanliness of steel
are based on visual observations only and are all assessed relative to the
original condition of the substrate prior to cleaning. Steel is usually
categorised into four grades - A, B, C and D grade, where A grade is in the
least corroded condition.
ISO Sa 3 Blast cleaning to visually clean steel

When viewed without magnification, the surface shall be free from visible oil,
grease and dirt and shall be free from millscale, rust, paint coatings and
foreign matter.

It shall have a uniform metallic colour.

ISO Sa 2.5 Very thorough blast cleaning

When viewed without magnification, the surface shall be free from visible oil,
grease and dirt and shall be free from millscale, rust, paint coatings and
foreign matter.

Any remaining traces of contamination shall show only as slight

stains in the form of spots or stripes.

ISO Sa 2 Thorough blast cleaning

When viewed without magnification, the surface shall be free from visible oil,
grease and dirt and from most of the millscale, rust, paint coatings and
foreign matter.
Any residual contamination shall be firmly adhering.

ISO Sa 1 Light blast cleaning

When viewed without magnification, the surface shall be free from visible oil,
grease and dirt and from poorly adhering millscale, rust, paint coatings and
foreign matter.

Abrasive blasting.
This is the most commonly used method of preparing a surface for
the application of paint. When properly carried out, abrasive blasting
removes old paint, rust, salts, fouling, etc and provides a good mechanical
key (blast profile) for the new coating.

After abrasive blasting is completed, the surface must be cleaned to

remove loose debris and dust before painting commences.

If too high a blast profile is produced, inadequate coating coverage

will result over any high and sharp peaks and this could lead to
premature coating breakdown. However, abrasive blasting can also
result in an insufficient surface profile and may also simply re-
distribute contamination over the steel surface trapping
contaminants under the surface as shown in the diagram below.

. Contamination trapped in the blast profile will be overcoated.

If the blasting media is contaminated, the quantity of soluble salts on the

steel surface after blasting can be higher than before blasting. The quantity
of soluble salts in blasting media can be checked by aqueous extraction
techniques. Soluble contaminants remaining on a surface can be quantified
using commercially available tests. Coating manufacturers representatives
and relevant ship yard personnel could advise on these tests when
necessary.

Abrasive Blasting Media.

There are many types of abrasive blasting media available and each has its
own characteristics in terms of shape, profile produced and recycling
properties, etc. The choice of blasting media will depend upon local
availability and the desired results. It is not possible to list all the blast
media here, but common examples are:

Type of Abrasive Mesh Typical max. height of

size Profile
Very fine sand 80 37μm (1.5 mils)
Coarse sand 12 70μm (2.8 mils)
Iron shot 14 90μm (3.6 mils)
“Copper slag” (1.5-2.0mm - 75-100μm (3-4 mils)
grain size)
Iron grit (G16) 12 200μm (8 mils)

Table1. Profiles produced by different abrasives.[recycling -??]

Copper grit is one of the blast media widely used for blasting in shipyard
and is obtained as copper slag waste from melting the copper metal
at a very high temperature.
It is a by-product and is often referred to as hard coarse-grained silicieous
sandstone. This is the base for grit and can be found or prepared in
different sizes for different types of blasting known as grit blasting.
It usually comes is sizes ranging from 830cc (meshes) and 1030cc but
most shipyard prefers the former over the latter because of its coarseness
and larger size in order to achieve a higher blast profile on the steel
substrate.

Abrasive blasting advantages.

 Can be used to clean large areas of steel.

 Gives a good profile to steel before painting.
 Removes rust, old paint, some oils, grease & soluble salts.
Abrasive blasting disadvantages.

 Environmentally unfriendly – noisy, dirty, produces large

quantities of dust.
 Can leave retained grit in the steel which is not fully
overcoated. The grit breaks down early in service giving the
appearance of a poor coating performance.

Spot blasting.

An abrasive, localised preparation process commonly used on the outside of

ships hulls during repair and maintenance work, when patches of localised
corrosion have occurred. Care must be taken to avoid the following
problems:

 Undercutting and loosening of paint edges around the cleaned

spot. Edges must be feathered, where possible.
 Stray abrasive particles will damage surrounding paint in confined
spaces and this must be treated and repaired as necessary.
 Blasting should be discontinued whilst moving from one spot to the
next rather than trailing blast media over the surface. Any damage
caused in this way should be repaired.
Photograph1. Outer hull showing application of primer after
localised spot blasting.

Sweep blasting

A jet of abrasive is swept across the surface of the steel rather than being
focussed on one area for any period of time. Its effectiveness depends upon
the type and particle size of the abrasive used, the condition of the surface
and the skill of the operator. Three major types of sweep blast are in
common use:

 Light sweeping: is used to remove surface contamination or loose

coatings. It is also used for etching of existing coatings to improve
adhesion. Fine abrasive (0.2-0.5mm) is commonly used for etching.
 Heavy or hard sweeping: is used to remove old coating, rust back to
the original shop primer or bare steel.
 Sweeping Shop Primers at new building: is used to partially remove
the shop primer to an agreed standard, immediately prior to
overcoating.

*****************************************************

Hydroblasting / Water Jetting.

Whilst dry abrasive blasting is the most commonly used method of surface
preparation, Government and local regulations are continuously changing
and require the development of more environmentally sensitive and user
friendly methods of surface preparation and the use of hydroblasting (also
known as hydro jetting, water blasting and water jetting) is becoming an
increasing viable means to accomplish this. Standards are being developed
to satisfy this need.

It should be noted that hydroblasted surfaces are visually very different from
those produced by abrasive cleaning or power tools and surfaces often
appear dull or mottled [mark with spots or smears of colour]. after the initial
cleaning is completed.

One drawback of hydroblasting is the formation of flash rust (also

called flash back or gingering) after blasting.

Heavy rust formed in a short time period is indicative of residual salt

on the steel and re-blasting is necessary before painting.

Light rusting is generally acceptable to the paint manufacturers, subject to

the coating to be applied and the area in which it will be used.

RUST GRADE C

NOW HYDRO BLASTED

EQUIVALENT TO Sa 2
Hydroblasting does not produce a profile on the steel surface as
compared with abrasive blasting. It does however remove rust and
loose paint, as well as soluble salts, dirt and oils, from the steel to
expose the original abrasive blast surface profile plus the profile
produced by corrosion and mechanical damage.

The use of ultra high pressure hydroblasting can also remove adherent paint
from steel.

The terms water washing (usually used to remove salts, slimes and light
fouling from vessels in dry dock) and hydroblasting (used to remove rust
and paint) can easily become confused. To clarify the situation, the
following pressure guidelines are given:
Hull cleaning standard by fresh water

Surface preparation by using fresh water can be divided into 4 levels.

Table 3 is the levels or categories for fresh water surface preparation:

Table 3: Categories for fresh water surface preparation

Fresh Water Washing/Pressure Cleaning Quality

Low Pressure Water Washing Pressure: It can remove surface salts,

dust and loose surface debris.
Less than 68 bar

High Pressure Water Washing For 68-204 bar

Pressure: It can remove salts, dirt, loose coatings and leached layer

Between 68-680 bar – removal of antifouling coatings.

For 204-680 bar :-It can perform selective removal of coatings and intact
coatings.

High Pressure Hydro-Blasting (Water- It can remove all existing old paint
or heavy rust BY Jetting) to WJ 3 (Water jetting standards NACE 5/ SSPC-
SP 12)
Pressure: Between 680-1700 bar to a uniform matt finish with at least two
thirds of the surface( free of all visible scale) and the remaining one-third
containing only residues randomly dispersed stains of previously existing
rust, coatings and foreign matter.

Ultra High Pressure Hydro-Blasting It can remove all existing old paint or
heavy rust. Water Jetting to WJ 2 hydro jetting standard of uniform matt
finish
Above 1700 bar
Pressure: with at least 95% of the surface area being free of all Coatings ,
But previously existing visible residues and the 5% -coating and foreign
matter.[ normally 2000-2800 bar]
Low pressure water washing/cleaning – pressures less than (68 bar).

High pressure water washing/cleaning – Pressures between (68-680

bar).

High pressure hydroblasting – pressures between (680-1700 bar).

Ultra high pressure hydroblasting – pressures above. (1700

(bar). Most machines operate in the. (2000-2500 bar) range.

Inhibitors can sometimes be added to the water to help prevent

flash rusting prior to coating being applied, however they are often
ionic in nature and must be completely removed by further washing before
the paint is applied. It is also important to ensure that the water being used
should be sufficiently pure that it does not contaminate the surface being
cleaned.

Advantages of hydroblasting are:

 Removes soluble salts from the steel surface.

 Water as a cleaning material is generally inexpensive and available in
large quantities. (The Middle East is an exception).
 Lack of contamination of surrounding areas because there are no
abrasive particles.
 Lack of dust.

Disadvantages of hydroblasting are:

 No surface profile is produced. It relies on the original profile, if

present.
 Flash rusting may be a problem in humid environments.
 The areas behind angles require particular attention as they are
difficult to clean by hydroblasting.
Preparation of Non-Ferrous Metals.

Galvanised steel

The surface must be dry, clean and free from oil and grease before
painting. Degreasing requires some effort to obtain a clean surface, as the
zinc corrosion products can trap grease and other contaminants. Any white
zinc corrosion products should be removed by high pressure fresh water
washing or fresh water washing with scrubbing.

Sweep blasting or abrading are suitable preparation methods, but fresh

water washing should be used additionally to remove soluble salts. An etch
primer can also be used after cleaning to provide a key for further
coatings. Paint companies should be consulted on suitable preparation
methods, primers and coatings for galvanised steels and will advise on
individual cases.

Aluminium

The surface should be clean, dry and free from oil and grease. Corrosion
salts should be removed by light abrasion and water washing. Clean
surfaces should be abraded or very lightly blasted using a low pressure and
a non-metallic abrasive (e.g. garnet).

Alternatively, a proprietary etch primer should be used to provide a key for

subsequent paint coats. Paint companies should be consulted regarding
suitable primers and coatings.