SURFACE CONTAMINATIONS...

SALT LEVELS

“What is the allowable level of soluble salt contamination

on steel substrates prior to painting?”

The simple answer is, there is no simple answer. We could of course take the easy
way out & say zero salts are allowable, this however is not practical & would soon
see our customers seeking out alternative suppliers. The purpose of this update is to
explain the importance of detecting these contaminants, & to alert you to some of
the key variables considered when setting allowable limits on a given project.

Soluble salts such as chlorides, sulfates and nitrates are known initiators and
accelerators of the corrosion of steel and become deeply embedded within iron
corrosion products. Such contaminated surfaces will rapidly rust causing organic
coatings placed over them to fail due to osmotic blistering. Contamination can
arise from chemical spillage, fertilizer fallout, contaminated abrasive and other
causes, but most commonly results from chloride due to marine spray and fallout.

Detection and measurement of soluble salts can be carried out quantitatively using
methods such as the swabbing technique & the Bresle Patch (see ASINZS 3894.6).
However, there is considerable debate on the value of such figures as critical levels
of soluble salts depend on many factors.

From current knowledge and experience, it is broadly recognised, that if salt is

present on the substrate in concentrations of only 5ug/cm2 (50mg/m2) then
generally no adverse effects would be anticipated, whereas for concentrations
above 50ug/cm2 (500mg/m2) then eventual blistering of the film would be likely.

The point at which salt concentration becomes an issue between these two numbers
will of course heavily depend on a number of variables including the following:

(a) Type of ion - Chloride is the most aggressive ion, sulfate slightly less so,
while other ions such as phosphate & carbonate may not cause any problems.
(b) Method of test— The swabbing method extracts one-third and the Bresle
test extracts one-half of the soluble ions.
(c) Type of subsequent coating - The more permeable coatings have lower
critical levels than the less permeable coatings, e.g. levels are lower for
alkyds than for epoxy
(d) Thickness of the coating—A coating of higher film thickness may
withstand a higher level of soluble ions.
(e) Environment - If coating breakdown is due to osmotic blistering, an
environment that creates a high osmotic pressure causes the greatest break
down problems. This factor is not related to corrosivity of the environment.
Fresh water and heavy condensation create a higher osmotic pressure than
seawater, which is more severe than wet/dry environments. Dry environments
are not subject to this problem.
(f) Life Expectancy—The longer the life that is expected prior to first
major maintenance, the cleaner the substrate needs to be.

JOB43JAN2004
As a basic guide, if we use the ISO12944 definitions for corrosive environments, and
adhere to the film thickness recommendations used by this standard then we could offer
the following:

For structural Steel in a mild, dry, C3 environment

< 50ug/cm2 would be acceptable

For Steel in immersion or a severe C5(M) type environment

< 10ug/cm2 would be required.

With allowable levels varying between these two extremes based on the details of the
variables outlined above. If there is ever any doubt about the severity of the environment
or other variables, then the lower figure of 10ug/cm2 should be adopted.

The key issue here, is that the level of surface cleanliness required should always be
assessed on a case by case basis, to ensure the best balance between system performance
and practicality is maintained.

I trust this offers some clarification on what can be a very tricky question.

Jamie O’Brien
Technical & Product Manager—Australasia
Protective Coatings

JOB43JAN2004