Professional Documents
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Standards
May 1, 2014
Authored by Daniel Barlow
Often, the ASTM standards for the hot-dip galvanizing industry cite
SSPC surface preparation standards. What are these and which ones are
important to the industry?
The Society for Protective Coatings (SSPC) publishes and maintains many standards relevant to
the coating industry. Standardized subjects include requirements for paints, standards for
evaluating the qualifications of contractors, surface preparation standards, and other topics. The
ASTM specifications relevant to the hot-dip galvanizing industry often reference these surface
preparation standards. Here is a list and brief summary of the surface preparation standards used
in the hot-dip galvanizing industry with a brief summary of each.
to the surface including wiping or scrubbing the surface with solvent, spraying solvent directly
onto the surface, vapor degreasing, immersion, alkaline cleaners, and steam cleaning.
The preparation of a hot-dip galvanized coating for paint or powder coating connects this
standard to the galvanizing industry. ASTM D6386 and D7803 both call out this standard during
their surface preparation steps. Solvent cleaning is used to remove oil and grease from the
galvanized coating before it is profiled and cleaned with other methods.
The preparation for painting and powder coating over a hot-dip galvanized coating, as well as the
repair of damaged and uncoated areas, use SSPC-SP2 as a standard surface preparation
procedure. The specifications for preparing hot-dip galvanized steel for paint and powder coating
ASTM D6386 and D7803 respectively list hand tool cleaning as an acceptable method for
smoothing the surface and removing zinc high spots of newly galvanized and partially weathered
coatings. Hand tool cleaning also acceptably cleans a hot-dip galvanized surface before surface
profiling according to D6386. ASTM A780 also uses SSPC-SP2 as an acceptable preparation
method for repair by the use of paints containing zinc dust.
SSPC-SP3 details the use of power assisted tools for surface preparation. The preparation
method described here is intended to remove the same contaminants from a surface as in SSPCSP2, and the procedures before and after using this cleaning method are identical to SSPC-SP2.
The standard includes using rotary, impact, or power brushing tools to remove stratified rust,
weld slag, and mill scale. Power abrading tools also acceptably remove mill scale according to
the standard. SSPC-SP3 requires power tools to be used in a manner that prevents the formation
of burrs, sharp ridges, and sharp cuts. Feathering the edges of adhered paint surfaces is also
required.
Just as SSPC-SP2 and SSPC-SP3 have similar requirements for surface preparation, so too are
they similar in their applications to the hot-dip galvanizing industry. In preparation for paint and
powder coating, both standards are mentioned by D6386 and D7803 in the same section. They
are considered interchangeable in their use of smoothing the coating and removing zinc high
spots before the zinc coating is further prepared. D6386 also considers the two methods
interchangeable during the surface cleaning phase of the process. A780, however, does not
specifically call out SSPC-SP3 for the preparation of a damaged coating for repair by zinc rich
paints.
SSPC-SP5 is not specified often in standards for the hot-dip galvanizing industry. However,
A780 uses the white metal blast as the surface preparation standard for repairing a zinc coating
using sprayed zinc.
Hot-dip galvanized coatings contain a layer of zinc oxide and zinc hydroxide which would be
detrimental to the adherence of a topcoat. A paint coating also requires a profile typically not
found on the relatively smooth surface of a hot-dip galvanized coating. D6386 lists sweep
blasting as an acceptable surface preparation method with its own given requirements for the
procedure but calls out SSPC-SP7 for more procedure specifications.
ASTM A780 calls for a near-white metal blast cleaning when field conditions include
immersion. In this case the area damaged and in need of repair by a paint containing zinc dust
will receive a blast per SSPC-SP10 before the paint is applied.
The power-tool cleaning method of SSPC-SP11 will provide an adequate profile for a paint
system to adhere to. This fact makes power-tool cleaning an acceptable method for surface
preparation of a hot-dip galvanized coating after it has been cleaned. D6386 states that painting
should be performed as soon as possible after power-tool cleaning or surface grinding. A780
allows uncoated areas to be power-tool cleaned before repair with zinc rich paints in areas of less
critical field exposure conditions.
profile. Waterjetting will remove all loose rust, loose mill scale, and loose coatings uniformly
while meeting the conditions of WJ-1, WJ-2, WJ-3, and WJ-4.
A hot dip-galvanized coating is said to be fully weathered when the exposed surface consists
mainly of water-insoluble zinc carbonates, some zinc oxides, and rarely, zinc hydroxides.
Usually occurring around after six months of weathering, a finely etched and roughened profile
acceptable for paint covers the surface of the galvanized coating. After all oil and grease has
been removed with the methods of another surface preparation standards, cleaning with a
waterjet according to SSPC-SP12 will remove all lose particles and leave the finely etched
surface previously described. D7803 specifically calls out this standard with a condition that the
water pressure be below 1450 psi. D6386 describes the same process, but without mentioning the
surface preparation standard.
The brush off-blast cleaning procedure described in SSPC-SP16 provides an acceptable profile
on hot-dip galvanized surfaces for the application of paint or powder coat. After a galvanized
surface has been acceptably cleaned of oil, grease, and similar products, this brush blasting can
be applied in order to create an acceptable profile. D7803 uses this standard for the preparation
of a galvanized coating for powder coating. D6386 does not specifically call out this standard,
but the procedure is very similar to that of D7803.
SP 16 is intended for brush-off blast cleaning of coated or uncoated metal surfaces other than
carbon steel prior to the application of a protective coating system. Surface preparation using this
standard is intended to roughen and clean coated and uncoated non-ferrous metal substrates,
including, but not limited to, galvanized surfaces, stainless steel, copper, aluminum, and brass.
SP 16 requires the cleaned surface to be free of loose contaminants and loose coating as
determined by visual inspection. A minimum surface profile of 19 micrometers (0.75 mil) on the
bare metal surface is required. Intact coatings are required to be roughened to the degree
specified in the project specification.