5.dry Abrasive Blasting

Dry Abrasive Blast Cleaning
INDEX OF DRY ABRASIVE BLAST CLEANING
SURFACE PREPARATION
DRY ABRASIVE BLAST CLEANING
RUST GRADES (A-D)
LIGHT BLAST CLEANING (SA 1)
THOROUGH BLAST CLEANING (SA 2)
VERYTHOROUGH BLAST CLEANING (SA 2 ½ )
BLAST CLEANING TO VISUALLY CLEAN STEEL (SA 3)
FEATHERING
The images within this section are courtesy of Clemco Industries

Corp. The images are for illustrative purposes only and may not reflect actual
surface conditions or results.
SURFACE PREPARATION
The performance of protective coatings applied to steel is significantly affected by the

state of the steel surface immediately prior to painting.The principal factors that are
known to influence this performance are:
• the presence of rust, millscale and previous coatings;

• the presence of surface contaminants, including salts, dust, oils, acid and
greases;
• the surface profile.
International Standards ISO 8501, ISO 8502 and ISO 8503 provide methods of
assessing these factors, while ISO 4628-3 provides guidance on evaluating the
degradation of paint coatings by degree of rusting and ISO 4627 covers the evaluation
of the compatibility of a product with a surface to be painted. Other national standards
and codes of practice contain recommendations for the various protective coating
systems to be applied to the steel surface and these should be referred to for guidance
on such items as:
• suitability of the cleaning procedure and standard specified;

• suitability of the coating system for the environmental conditions to which the
steel will be exposed;
• compatibility with any remaining paint coatings.
The International Standards referred to above deal with the following aspects of
preparation of steel substrates:
ISO 8501 - Visual assessment of surface cleanliness.

ISO 8502 - Tests for the assessment of surface cleanliness.
ISO 8503 - Surface roughness characteristics of blast-cleaned steel substrates.
ISO 4627 - Paints and varnishes - Evaluation of the compatibility of a product
with a surface to be painted-Methods of test.
ISO 4628-3 - Evaluation of degradation of paint coatings.
In the following sections include guidelines on the preparation of steel substrates before
the application of paints and related products and include reproductions of visual
assessment guides of surface finish and cleanliness by water jetting.
Other considerations
Apart from cleanliness of the steel, consideration needs to be given to the etch or profile
roughness created by the impact of the abrasive on the steel surface.The substrate
profile is regulated by:
• Shape, type and grading of the abrasive.

• Blasting method and velocity of abrasive impaction.
• Steel condition prior to abrasive blast cleaning.
The etched profile of the surface enables adhesion of the protective paint coatings. Of
great importance is the level at which this is achieved as too severe a profile will cause
a waste of paint and time in application,whilst too light a profile could result in lack of
adhesion.
Profile of the surface can be measured by various items of test equipment but still the
best method of obtaining a profile specification is by ensuring the correct blasting
equipment/method coupled with type and size of abrasive to be used in the operation.
Once abrasive blast cleaning needs have been decided, selection of method, type of
equipment and training of personnel should follow. Equipment used for surface
preparation needs to be extremely reliable and simple to use. Operation and training
information should be up-to-date and accurate.
The various rust grades and cleaning standards are now illustrated.
RUST GRADES
GRADE “A”
Steel surface largely covered with adhering mill scale but little, if any rust.
GRADE “B”
Steel surface wich has begun to rust and from which the mill scale has begun to take
GRADE “C”
Steel surface on which the mill scale has rusted away or from which it can be scraped,
but with slight pitting visible under normal vision.
GRADE “D”
Steel surface on which the mill scale has rusted away and on which general pitting
visible under normal vision.
LIGHT BLAST CLEANING OR BRUSH-OFF
BLAST CLEANING (Sa 1)

Removal of loose mill scale.loose rust.and loose paint, to the degree hereafter
specified, by the impact of abrasives propelled through nozzles or by centrifugal
wheels. It is not intended that the surface shall be free of all mill scale, rust, and
paint.The remaining mill scale, rust,and paint should be firmly adhered and the surface
should be sufficiently abraded to provide good adhesion and bonding of paint.
A brush-off blast cleaned surface finish is defined as one from which all oil, grease, dirt,
rust scale, loose mill scale, loose rust and loose paint or coatings are removed
completely but tight mill scale and firmly adhered rust, paint and coatings are permitted
to remain provided that all mill scale and rust have been exposed to the abrasive blast
pattern sufficiently to expose numerous flecks of the underlying metal fairly uniformly
distributed over the entire surface.
Sa 1 SIS 05 5900 Swedish Standards Organisation
Sa 1 ISO 8501-1
RUST GRADE “B” (Sa 1)

RUST GRADE “C” (Sa 1)
RUST GRADE “D” (Sa 1)

THOROUGH BLAST CLEANING OR COMMERCIAL BLAST

CLEANING (Sa 2)
Removal of partial mill scale, rust, rust scale, paint or foreign matter by the use of
abrasives propelled through nozzles or by centrifugal wheels, to the degree specified.
A commercial blast cleaned surface finish is defined as one from which all oil, grease,
dirt, rust scale and foreign matter have been completely removed from the surface and
all rust, mill scale and old paint have been completely removed except for slight
shadows, streaks, or discoloration caused by rust stain, mill scale oxides or slight, firm
residues of paint or coating that may remain if the surface is pitted,slight residues of
rust or paint may by found in the bottom of pits. At least two-thirds of each square inch
of surface area shall be free of all visible residues and the remainder shall be limited to
the light discoloration, slight staining or firm residues mentioned above.
Sa 2 ISO 8501-1


VERYTHOROUGH BLAST CLEANING OR NEAR WHITE METAL

BLAST CLEANING (Sa 2 ½ )
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 metal 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 discolouration caused by rust stain/mill scale oxides, or light, firm
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.
Sa 2 ½ SIS 05 5900 Swedish Standards Organisation
Sa 2 ½ ISO 8501-1
RUST GRADE “B” (Sa 2 ½ )

RUST GRADE “C” (Sa 2 ½ )
RUST GRADE “D” (Sa 2 ½ )

Dry Abrasive Biast Cleaning
BLAST CLEANING TO VISUALLY CLEAN STEEL OR WHITE METAL

BLAST CLEANING (Sa 3)
Removal of all mill scale, rust, rust scale, paint or foreign matter by the use of abrasives
propelled through nozzles or by centrifugal wheels.
A white metal blast cleaned surface finish is defined as a surface with a grey-white,
uniform metallic colour, slightly roughened to form a suitable anchor pattern for
coatings.The surface,when viewed without magnification, shall be free of all oil, grease,
dirt, visible mill sea Ie, rust, corrosion products, oxides, paint, or any other foreign
matter.
Sa 3 ISO 8501-1


FEATHERING
Description: Where repairs are carried out to an already painted surface, the edge
of the old paint should be feathered to a sound, well adhered thin edge
using an appropriate means of abrasion, prior to overcoating.
Caution: 1) Check compatability of new paint over old paint.
2) Ensure new paint does not soften and lift old paint, particularly at the
feathered edges,

5.dry Abrasive Blasting

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Dry Abrasive Blast Cleaning

INDEX OF DRY ABRASIVE BLAST CLEANING

DRY ABRASIVE BLAST CLEANING

RUST GRADES (A-D)

LIGHT BLAST CLEANING (SA 1)

THOROUGH BLAST CLEANING (SA 2)

VERYTHOROUGH BLAST CLEANING (SA 2 ½ )

BLAST CLEANING TO VISUALLY CLEAN STEEL (SA 3)

The images within this section are courtesy of Clemco Industries

The performance of protective coatings applied to steel is significantly affected by the

• the presence of rust, millscale and previous coatings;

• suitability of the cleaning procedure and standard specified;

ISO 8501 - Visual assessment of surface cleanliness.

• Shape, type and grading of the abrasive.

LIGHT BLAST CLEANING OR BRUSH-OFF

BLAST CLEANING (Sa 1)

RUST GRADE “B” (Sa 1)

RUST GRADE “D” (Sa 1)

THOROUGH BLAST CLEANING OR COMMERCIAL BLAST

RUST GRADE “B” (Sa 2)

RUST GRADE “D” (Sa 2)

VERYTHOROUGH BLAST CLEANING OR NEAR WHITE METAL

RUST GRADE “B” (Sa 2 ½ )

RUST GRADE “D” (Sa 2 ½ )

BLAST CLEANING TO VISUALLY CLEAN STEEL OR WHITE METAL

RUST GRADE “B” (Sa 3)

RUST GRADE “D” (Sa 3)

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