SURFACE PREPARATION STANDARDS

SURFACE PREPARATION STANDARDS

Your coatings supplier will always designate the degree of surface preparation required for the materials you are using. The basic standards for preparing metal substrates are a joint effort between the Society for Protective Coatings (SSPC) and the National Association of Corrosion Engineers International (NACE).

SSPC-SP1 Solvent Cleaning

Removal of all visible oil, grease, soil, drawing and cutting compounds, and other soluble contaminants from steel surfaces with solvent, vapor, cleaning compound, alkali, emulsifying agent, or steam.

SSPC-SP2 Hand Tool Cleaning

Removes all loose mill scale, loose rust, loose paint, and other loose detrimental foreign matter by hand chipping, scraping, sanding, and wire brushing.

SSPC-SP3 Power Tool Cleaning

Removes all loose mill scale, loose rust, loose paint, and other loose detrimental foreign matter by power wire brushing, power sanding, power grinding, power tool chipping, and power tool descaling.

SSPC-SP5 / NACE 1 White Metal Blast Cleaning

When viewed without magnification, the surface shall be free of all visible oil, grease, dust, dirt, mill scale, rust, coating, oxides, corrosion products and other foreign matter.

SSPC-SP6 / NACE 3 Commercial Blast Cleaning

When viewed without magnification, the surface shall be free of all visible oil, grease, dust, dirt, mill scale, rust, coating, oxides, corrosion products and other foreign matter of at least 66-2/3% of unit area, which shall be a square 3 in. x 3 in. (9 sq. in.). Light shadows, slight streaks, or minor discolorations caused by stains of rust, stains of mill scale, or stains of previously applied coating in less than 33-1/3% of the unit area is acceptable.

SSPC-SP7 / NACE 4 Brush-Off Blast Cleaning

When viewed without magnification, the surface shall be free of all visible oil, grease, dirt, dust, loose mill scale, loose rust, and loose coating. Tightly adherent mill scale, rust, and coating may remain on the surface. Mill scale, rust, and coating are considered tightly adherent if they cannot be removed by lifting with a dull putty knife.

SSPC-SP10 / NACE 2 Near-White Blast Cleaning

When viewed without magnification shall be free of all visible oil, grease, dust, dirt, mill scale, rust, coating, oxides, corrosion products and other foreign matter of at least 95% of each unit area. Staining shall be limited to no more than 5 percent of each unit area, and may consist of light shadows, slight streaks, or minor discolorations caused by stains of rust, stains of mill scale, or stains of previously applied coatings. Unit area shall be approximately 3 in. x 3 in. (9 sq. in.).

SSPC-SP11 Power Tool Cleaning to Bare Metal

When viewed without magnification, the surface shall be free of all visible oil, grease, dirt, dust, mill scale, rust, paint, oxides, corrosion products, and other foreign matter. Slight residues of rust and paint may be left in the lower portion of pits if the original surface is pitted. The surface profile shall not be less than 1 mil (25 microns).