Dare to Prepare

How much courage do you have? Do you have the guts to go beyond the delusion of the day? Dare to see that we can substantially improve surface pre-treatments? So that we can avoid coating problems. This starts with accepting that a large proportion of coating failures are caused by incorrect or insufficient surface pre-treatment. […]
Explanation of the ISO 8502 on surface cleanliness

This standard is covering all aspects related to the determination of contaminants that are required to removed before coating application. It is therefore titled: “Preparation of steel substrates before application of paints and related products – Tests for the assessment of surface cleanliness” It is a well known standard that serves as starting point for […]
What are CO2 emissions from abrasives (corundum, garnet and Grittal)?

CO2 (kg) CED (MJ) Waste (kg) Costs per hour (€) Grittal 9,6 143,4 1,9 9,2 Corundum 61,0 981,6 54,5 28,9 Garnet Sand 45,8 760,6 130,6 53,2 Table 1 CO2 emissions, waste and energy demand for abrasives (whole chain) For CO2 and Cumalative energy demand (CED), it applies to corundum and garnet sand that the abrasive […]
How much abrasives do you need for a grit blasting project?

This depends on the type of abrasive, the amount of cycles that the abrasive can be re-used, and the density of the abrasive. With a tank volume of 200 litres, blasting can be done for about 45 minutes, but as the density of the abrasives varies, so does the number of kilograms of abrasive used […]
Frequently Asked Questions on SSPC VISUAL STANDARDS

It is important to understand that the VIS Guides 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. SSPC VIS has specified 9 different grades In another article we have […]
The 8 most relevant Surface Profile Standards

Standards are available from several organizations that provide direction for using various methods to obtain an anchor profile measurement. Available standards include but are not limited to the following: ASTM D 4417: Standard Test Methods for Field Measurement of Surface Profile of Blast Cleaned Steel ASTM D 7127: Standard Test Method for Measurement of Surface […]
How does Surface Profile Affect Paint Usage?

Due to extra surface area created by the surface profile and roughness with required peak coverage, extra paint is needed. A rule of thumb for the determination of the approximate extra paint to fill a SAND, GRIT or Bristle Blast profile is to multiply the peak to valley height (profile) times 0.5 and add this […]
Abrasive Blast Cleaning, what is the right pressure?

If you speak to any abrasive blast contractor, they will openly state that the air pressure achieved at the blast nozzle equates to the efficiency of the blast. This in turn equates to time spent on the project which ultimately is measured as cost, either lost or gained on the project. Now the concept is […]
Do I need to test for present salts before coating application?

Yes, you need to verify the presence of salts to prevent osmosis and thus osmotic pressure. This will create blisters or cracks on the coating surface, eventually leading to corrosion of the surface area and possibly, further delamination of the coating. How to test for salts? On any project, what you do is determined by […]
What is a mill scale and do I have to remove it before coating?

Mill scale is iron oxide that forms on a surface during hot rolling of steel. During rolling, the high temperature involved causes oxide to form over the entire surface, which only increases in quantity as the rolling process progresses. The spots are often hard, but at the same time very brittle. The combination of the […]