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It is well recognized that you can make a poor coating perform with excellent pretreatment, but you cannot make an excellent coating perform with poor pretreatment. Surface pre-treatment by chemical or mechanical means is also important in painting, and the methods used are designed to ensure good adhesion of the paint to the alloy surface. Surface engineering for increased material performance is one important element of the world of metal finishing. Most metal surface treatment and plating operations have three basic steps: Surface cleaning or preparation, which involves the use of solvents, alkaline cleaners, acid cleaners, abrasive materials, and/or water *

Topics related to surface preparation:  Galvanized surfaces, Rust converters, Standards, Steel surfaces, Surface chlorides

Surface Preparation Guides and Specifications

See also:

Painting specifications, Surface preparation standards * , Cladding, Electroplating, Pack cementation, Electroless plating, Physical vapor deposition (MetalCoatings/physical.htm), galvanizing, Thermal spraying Hot dip

Guide To SSPC-VIS 1-89: Visual Standard for Abrasive Blast Cleaned Steel (Standard Reference Photographs)

This Guide describes the use of standard reference photographs depicting the appearance of previously unpainted hot rolled carbon steel prior to and after abrasive blast cleaning. These photographs are intended to be used to supplement the written SSPC blast cleaning surface preparation specifications. As the written specifications are the primary means to determine conformance with blast cleaning requirements, the photographs shall not be used as a substitute for these specifications.

Guide To Visual Standard No. 2: Guide to Standard Method of Evaluating Degree of Rusting on Painted Steel Surfaces This Guide only describes the pictorial standard and does not constitute the standard. It is to be used for comparative purposes and is not intended to have a direct relationship to a decision regarding painting requirements. Guide To SSPC-VIS 3: Visual Standard for Power-and Hand-Tool Cleaned Steel (Standard Reference Photographs)

This Guide describes the use of standard reference photographs depicting the appearance of unpainted, painted and welded hotrolled carbon steel prior to and after power and hand tool cleaning. These photographs are intended to be used to supplement the written SSPC power and hand tool surface preparation specifications. As the written specifications are the primary means to determine conformance with cleaning requirements, the photographs shall not be used as a substitute for the written specifications.

Surface Preparation Specification No. 1: Solvent Cleaning

This specification covers the requirements for the solvent cleaning of steel surfaces. Removal of all detrimental foreign matter such as oil, grease, dirt, soil, salts, drawing and cutting compounds, and other contaminants from steel surfaces by the use of solvents, emulsions, cleaning compounds, steam or other similar materials and methods which involve a solvent or cleaning action.

Surface Preparation Specification No. 2top

This specification covers the requirements for the hand tool cleaning of steel surfaces. Removal of all rust scale, mill scale, loose rust and loose paint to the degree specified by hand wire brushing, hand sanding, hand scraping, hand chipping or other hand impact tools or by a combination of these methods. The substrate should have a faint metallic sheen and also be free of oil, grease, dust, soil, salts and other contaminants.

Surface Preparation Specification No. 3Joint Surface Preparation Standard Joint Surface Preparation StandardJoint Surface Preparation StandardSurface Preparation Specification No. 8top

This specification covers the requirements for the pickling of steel surfaces. Removal of all mill scale, rust and rust scale by chemical reaction, or by electrolysis, or by both. It is intended that the pickled surface shall be completely free of all scale, rust, and foreign matter. Furthermore, the surface shall be free of unreacted or harmful acid or alkali, or smut.

Joint Surface Preparation Standardtop

This standard covers the requirements for Near-White Metal Blast Cleaning of steel surfaces by the use of abrasives. Removal of nearly all mill scale, rust, rust scale, paint, or foreign matter by the use of abrasives propelled through nozzles or by centrifugal wheels, to the degree hereafter specified. A Near-White Blast Cleaned Surface Finish is defined as one from which all oil, grease, dirt, mill scale, rust, corrosion products, oxides, paint or other foreign matter have been completely removed from the surface except for very light shadows, very slight streaks or slight discolorations caused by rust stain, mill scale oxides, or light, tight residues of paint or coating that may remain. At least 95 percent of each square inch of surface area shall be free of all visible residues, and the remainder shall be limited to the light discoloration mentioned above.

Surface Preparation Specification No. 11

This specification covers the requirements for the power tool cleaning to produce a bare metal surface and to retain or produce a surface profile. This specification is suitable where a roughened, clean, bare metal surface is required, but where abrasive blasting is not feasible or permissible.

Joint Surface Preparation StandardAbrasive Specification No. 1 Abrasive Specification No. 2 Thermal Precleaning Specifications for thermal precleaning Coating System Guide No. 23.00: Guide for Thermal Spray Metallic Coating Systems

This guide covers the requirements for thermal spray metallic coatings, with and without sealers and topcoats, as a means to prevent corrosion of steel surfaces. Types of metallic coatings included are pure zinc, pure aluminum and zinc/aluminum alloy, 85% zinc/15% aluminum by weight. This system is suitable for use on structures or parts thereof exposed in SSPC Environmental Zones 1ASurface Preparation Specification No. 4