SSPC SP14
SSPC SP14
SSPC SP14
8
May 1, 1999
This SSPC: The Society for Protective Coatings and NACE International standard represents a
consensus of those individual members who have reviewed this document, its scope and provi-
sions. Its acceptance does not in any respect preclude anyone, having adopted the standard or
not, from manufacturing, marketing, purchasing, or using products, processes, or procedures
not in conformance with this standard. Nothing contained in this standard is to be construed as
granting any right, by implication or otherwise, to manufacture, sell, or use in connection with
any method, apparatus, or product covered by Letters Patent, or as indemnifying or protecting
anyone against liability for infringement of Letters Patent. This standard represents minimum
requirements and should in no way be interpreted as a restriction on the use of better proce-
dures or materials. Neither is this standard intended to apply in all cases relating to the subject.
Unpredictable circumstances may negate the usefulness of this standard in specific instances.
SSPC and NACE assume no responsibility for the interpretation or use of this standard by other
parties and accept responsibility for only those official interpretations issued by SSPC or NACE
in accordance with their respective governing procedures and policies, which preclude the issu-
ance of interpretations by individual volunteers.
Users of this standard are responsible for reviewing appropriate health, safety, and regulatory
documents and for determining their applicability in relation to this standard prior to its use. This
SSPC/NACE standard may not necessarily address all potential health and safety problems or
environmental hazards associated with the use of materials, equipment and/or operations de-
tailed or referred to within this standard. Users of this standard are also responsible for estab-
lishing appropriate health, safety, and environmental protection practices, in consultation with
appropriate regulatory authorities, if necessary, to achieve compliance with any existing appli-
cable regulatory requirements prior to the use of this standard.
CAUTIONARY NOTICE: SSPC/NACE standards are subject to periodic review and may be re-
vised or withdrawn at any time without prior notice. SSPC and NACE require that action be
taken to reaffirm, revise, or withdraw this standard no later than five years from the date of initial
publication. The user is cautioned to obtain the latest edition. Purchasers may receive current
information on all standards and other publications by contacting the organizations at the ad-
dresses below.
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This joint standard covers the use of blast cleaning Section 4 Procedure Before Blast Cleaning
abrasives to achieve a defined degree of cleaning of steel Section 5 Blast Cleaning Methods and Operation
surfaces prior to the application of a protective coating or
lining system. This standard is intended for use by coating Section 6 Blast Cleaning Abrasives
or lining specifiers, applicators, inspectors, or others whose Section 7 Procedures Following Blast Cleaning and
responsibility it may be to define a standard degree of sur- Immediately Prior to Coating
face cleanliness.
Section 8 Inspection
The focus of this standard is industrial blast cleaning.
Section 9 Safety and Environmental Requirements
White metal blast cleaning, near-white blast cleaning, com-
mercial blast cleaning, and brush-off blast cleaning are ad- NOTE: Section 10, Comments and Appendix A, Ex-
dressed in separate standards. planatory Notes are not mandatory requirements of this
standard.
Industrial blast cleaning provides a greater degree of
cleaning than brush-off blast cleaning (SSPC-SP 7/NACE
No. 4), but less than commercial blast cleaning (SSPC-SP 2. Definition
6/NACE No. 3). 2.1 An industrial blast cleaned surface, when viewed
Industrial blast cleaning is used when the objective is without magnification, shall be free of all visible oil, grease,
to remove most of the coating, mill scale, and rust, but when dust, and dirt. Traces of tightly adherent mill scale, rust,
the extra effort required to remove every trace of these is and coating residues are permitted to remain on 10% of
determined to be unwarranted. each unit area of the surface (see Section 2.6) if they are
evenly distributed. The traces of mill scale, rust, and coating
The difference between an industrial blast and a brush- shall be considered tightly adherent if they cannot be lifted
off blast is that the objective of a brush-off blast is to allow with a dull putty knife. Shadows, streaks, and discolora-
as much of an existing coating to remain as possible, while tions caused by stains of rust, stains of mill scale, and stains
the purpose of the industrial blast is to remove most of the of previously applied coating may be present on the re-
coating. mainder of the surface.
A commercial blast is free of mill scale, rust, and coat- 2.2 The shape, configuration, and design of structures
ings, and allows only random staining on less than 33% of can lead to areas of limited accessibility for blast cleaning.
the surface. The industrial blast allows defined mill scale, Examples include crevices around rivets or fasteners, and
coating, and rust to remain on less than 10% of the sur- behind or between tightly configured back-to-back angles.
face and allows defined stains to remain on all surfaces. Because of the limited accessibility, these areas are ex-
empt from the 10% restrictions established in Section 2.1.
This joint standard was prepared by the SSPC/NACE
However, all surfaces in limited-access areas shall be sub-
Task Group A on Surface Preparation by Abrasive Blast
jected to the abrasive blast, and upon completion, old
Cleaning. This joint Task Group includes members of both
coating, rust, and mill scale are permitted to remain pro-
the SSPC Surface Preparation Committee and the NACE
vided they are well-adherent as determined using a dull
Unit Committee T-6G on Surface Preparation.
putty knife.
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2.6 Unit area for determinations shall be approximately dance with SSPC-SP 1 or other agreed-upon methods.
5776 mm2 (9 in2) (i.e., a square 76 mm x 76 mm [3 in x 3
in]). 4.2 Before blast cleaning, surface imperfections such
as sharp fins, sharp edges, weld spatter, or burning slag
2.7 ISO 8501-1:(latest edition)/SS 05 59 00(1) (Condi- should be removed from the surface to the extent required
tion B Sa 2), or other visual standards of surface prepara- by the procurement documents (project specification).
tion may be specified to supplement the written definition.
NOTE: Additional information on surface imperfections
NOTE: Additional information on visual standards is is available in Section A.5 of Appendix A.
available in Section A.4 of Appendix A. Also note that Con-
dition B Sa 2 of ISO 8501-1 does not depict the influence 4.3 If a visual standard or comparator is specified to
that previously applied coating may have on the appear- supplement the written standard, the condition of the steel
ance of the prepared surface. It is based on the prepara- prior to blast cleaning should be determined before the
tion of a previously uncoated steel surface covered with blasting commences.
rust and flaking mill scale.
NOTE: Additional information on visual standards and
3. References comparators is available in Section A.4 of Appendix A.
3.1 The standards referenced in this standard are 5. Blast Cleaning Methods and Operation
listed in Sections 3.4 and 3.5.
5.1 Clean, dry compressed air shall be used for nozzle
3.2 The latest issue, revision, or amendment of the blasting. Moisture separators, oil separators, traps, or other
referenced standards in effect on the date of invitation to equipment may be necessary to achieve this requirement.
bid shall govern unless otherwise specified.
5.2 Any of the following methods of surface prepara-
3.3 If there is a conflict between the requirements of tion may be used to achieve an industrial blast cleaned
any of the cited reference standards and this standard, the surface:
requirements of this standard shall prevail.
5.2.1 Dry abrasive blasting using compressed air,
3.4 SSPC: THE SOCIETY FOR PROTECTIVE COAT- blast nozzles, and abrasive.
INGS STANDARDS:
5.2.2 Dry abrasive blasting using a closed-cycle, recir-
AB 1 Mineral and Slag Abrasives culating abrasive system with compressed air, blast nozzle,
AB 2 Cleanliness of Recycled Ferrous and abrasive, with or without vacuum for dust and abrasive
Metallic Abrasives recovery.
AB 3 Newly Manufactured or Re- 5.2.3 Dry abrasive blasting using a closed cycle, re-
Manufactured Steel Abrasives circulating abrasive system with centrifugal wheels and
PA Guide 3 A Guide to Safety in Paint abrasive.
Application 5.3 Other methods of surface preparation (such as wet
SP 1 Solvent Cleaning abrasive blasting) may be used to achieve an industrial
blast cleaned surface by mutual agreement between those
3.5 INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR STAN- responsible for performing the work and those responsible
DARDIZATION (ISO) STANDARD: for establishing the requirements.
ISO 8501-1:1988 Preparation of steel substrates
/SS 05 59 00 before application of coatings NOTE: Information on the use of inhibitors to prevent
and related productsVisual the formation of rust immediately after wet blast cleaning
assessment of surface cleanli- is contained in Section A.9 of Appendix A.
ness
6. Blast Cleaning Abrasives
4. Procedures Before Blast Cleaning 6.1 The selection of abrasive size and type shall be
based on the type, grade, and surface condition of the steel
4.1 Before blast cleaning, visible deposits of oil, to be cleaned, type of blast cleaning system employed, the
grease, or other contaminants shall be removed in accor- finished surface to be produced (cleanliness and rough-
(1) ISO 8501-1: (latest edition)/SS 05 59 00 is available from the Swedish Standards
ness), and whether the abrasive will be recycled.
Institute (Standardisering-kommissionen i SverigeSIS), Box 6455, S 113-92
Stockholm, Sweden, and SSPC: The Society for Protective Coatings, 40 24th Street,
6th Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15222-4656, USA.
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6.2 The cleanliness and size of recycled abrasives NOTE: Information on rust-back (re-rusting) and sur-
shall be maintained to ensure compliance with this specifi- face condensation is contained in Sections A.6, A.7, and
cation. A.8 of Appendix A.
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Update on Field Methods for Retrieval and Analysis of over slight discoloration should be in accordance with the
Soluble Salts on Substrates. requirements of the coating manufacturer. CAUTION:
Some inhibitive treatments may interfere with the perfor-
A.7 RUST-BACK: Rust-back (re-rusting) occurs when
mance of certain coating systems.
freshly cleaned steel is exposed to moisture, contamina-
tion, or a corrosive atmosphere. The time interval between A.10 FILM THICKNESS: It is essential that ample
blast cleaning and rust-back will vary greatly from one en- coating be applied after blast cleaning to adequately cover
vironment to another. Under mild ambient conditions, if the peaks of the surface profile. The dry film thickness of
chemical contamination is not present (see Section A.6), it the coat-ng above the peaks of the profile should equal the
is best to blast clean and coat a surface the same day. thickness known to be needed for the desired protection.
Severe conditions may require more expedient coating ap- If the dry film thickness over the peaks is inadequate, pre-
plication to avoid contamination from fallout. Chemical con- mature rust-through or failure will occur. To assure that
tamination should be removed prior to coating (see Sec- coating thicknesses are properly measured the procedures
tion A.6). in SSPC-PA 2 (latest edition), Measurement of Dry Coating
Thickness with Magnetic Gauges should be used.
A.8 DEW POINT: Moisture condenses on any surface
that is colder than the dew point of the surrounding air. It A.11 MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR PAINTING:
is, therefore, recommended that the temperature of the steel When this standard is used in maintenance painting, spe-
surface be at least 3 C (5 F) above the dew point during cific instructions should be given on the extent of surface
dry blast cleaning operations. It is advisable to visually to be blast cleaned or spot blast cleaned to this degree of
inspect for moisture and periodically check the surface tem- cleanliness. In these cases, the cleaning shall be performed
perature and dew point during blast cleaning operations across the entire area specified. For example, if all weld
and to avoid the application of coating over a damp sur- seams are to be cleaned in a maintenance operation, this
face. degree of cleaning shall be applied 100% to all weld seams.
If the entire structure is to be prepared, this degree of clean-
A.9 WET ABRASIVE BLAST CLEANING: Steel that ing shall be applied to 100% of the entire structure. SSPC-
is wet abrasive blast cleaned may rust rapidly. Clean wa- PA Guide 4 (latest edition), Guide to Maintenance Repaint-
ter should be used for rinsing. It may be necessary that ing with Oil Base or Alkyd Painting Systems, provides a
inhibitors be added to the water or applied to the surface description of accepted practices for retaining old sound
immediately after blast cleaning to temporarily prevent rust coating, removing unsound coating, feathering, and spot
formation. The use of inhibitors or the application of coating cleaning.
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