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CorrEx — Technical reference guide

Normative Reference Guide – Protective Coating Inspection

Summary list of the main standards commonly used for surface preparation, coating application and inspection of protective coating systems.

This summary document is provided for information purposes only. Applicable requirements remain those defined by current standards, project specifications, approved procedures and contractual documents.

Important: this summary does not replace the original normative texts. CorrEx supports asset owners, engineering companies, fabricators, applicators and operators with the interpretation, application and implementation of these standards.

Surface preparation

Main reference standards related to steel substrate preparation, surface cleanliness, surface profile and abrasive media.

ISO 12944

Paints and varnishes — Corrosion protection of steel structures by protective paint systems

  • Part 1: General introduction
  • Part 2: Classification of environments
  • Part 3: Design considerations
  • Part 4: Types of surface and surface preparation
  • Part 5: Protective paint systems
  • Part 6: Laboratory performance test methods
  • Part 7: Execution and supervision of paint work
  • Part 8: Specifications for new work and maintenance
  • Part 9: Offshore paint systems and performance testing (ISO 20340)

ISO 8501

Steel substrate preparation before coating application — Visual surface cleanliness assessment

  • Part 1: Rust grades and preparation grades of steel substrates
  • Part 2: Preparation grades of previously coated steel substrates
  • Part 3: Preparation grades of welds, cut edges and other areas with imperfections
  • Part 4: Initial surface conditions, preparation grades and flash rust grades after high-pressure water jetting

ISO 8502

Steel substrate preparation before coating application — Surface cleanliness testing

  • Part 1: Soluble iron corrosion products
  • Part 2: Chloride contamination on cleaned surfaces
  • Part 3: Dust assessment using tape method
  • Part 4: Condensation risk assessment
  • Part 5: Measurement of chloride ions on prepared steel surfaces
  • Part 6: Extraction of soluble contaminants for analysis — Bresle method
  • Part 7: Oils and greases determination
  • Part 8: Field method for the refractometric determination of moisture
  • Part 9: Field method for the conductometric determination of water-soluble salts
  • Part 11: Field method for the determination of water-soluble sulphates
  • Part 12: Field method for the determination of water-soluble ferrous ions
  • Part 14: Determination of relative humidity prior to coating application

ISO 8503

Steel substrate preparation before coating application — Blast-cleaned surface profile characteristics

  • Part 1: ISO profile comparator specifications
  • Part 2: Method for the grading of surface profile — Comparator procedure
  • Part 3: Comparators calibration — Focusing microscope procedure
  • Part 4: Comparators calibration — Stylus instrument procedure
  • Part 5: Replica tape surface profile method

ISO 8504

Steel substrate preparation before coating application — Surface preparation methods

  • Part 1: General principles
  • Part 2: Abrasive blast-cleaning
  • Part 3: Hand and power tool cleaning

ISO 11124

Steel substrate preparation before coating application — Metallic abrasive specifications

  • Part 1: General introduction and classification
  • Part 2: Chilled-iron grit
  • Part 3: High-carbon cast-steel shot and grit
  • Part 4: Low-carbon cast-steel shot

ISO 11125

Steel substrate preparation before coating application — Metallic abrasive test methods

  • Part 1: Sampling
  • Part 2: Determination of particle size distribution
  • Part 3: Determination of hardness
  • Part 4: Determination of apparent density
  • Part 5: Defective particles and microstructure
  • Part 6: Determination of foreign matter
  • Part 7: Determination of moisture content

ISO 11126

Steel substrate preparation before coating application — Non-metallic abrasive specifications

  • Part 1: General introduction and classification
  • Part 3: Copper refinery slag
  • Part 4: Coal furnace slag
  • Part 5: Nickel refinery slag
  • Part 6: Iron furnace slag
  • Part 7: Fused aluminium oxide
  • Part 8: Olivine sand
  • Part 9: Staurolite
  • Part 10: Almandite

ISO 11127

Steel substrate preparation before coating application — Non-metallic abrasive test methods

  • Part 1: Sampling
  • Part 2: Determination of particle size distribution
  • Part 3: Determination of apparent density
  • Part 4: Determination of hardness by glass slide test
  • Part 5: Determination of moisture content
  • Part 6: Determination of water-soluble contaminants by conductivity measurement
  • Part 7: Determination of water-soluble chlorides

Inspection and field testing

Commonly used standards for coating thickness, adhesion, discontinuity testing, air quality checks and coating degradation assessment.

Film thickness measurement

Paints and varnishes — Coating thickness acceptance criteria

  • ISO 2808: Determination of film thickness
  • ISO 19840: DFT measurement on rough surfaces
  • NF T30-124: Non-destructive measurement by magnetic induction
  • ISO 2178: Thickness measurement of non-magnetic coatings on steel
  • ISO 2360: Non-conductive coatings on non-ferrous metal substrates — Measurement of coating thickness
  • SSPC-PA 2: Measurement and acceptance of dry coating thickness
  • ASTM D4138: Destructive measurement of coating thickness using a PIG gauge

Adhesion / cohesion

Paints and varnishes — Assessment of adhesion and cohesion of coating systems

  • ISO 4624: Pull-off test for adhesion
  • ISO 2409: Cross-cut test
  • ISO 16276-1: Acceptance criteria for pull-off testing
  • ISO 16276-2: Acceptance criteria for cross-cut and X-cut testing
  • ASTM D4541: Portable pull-off adhesion test
  • ASTM D3359: Tape test / X-cut test

Holiday detection

Non-conductive coatings — Detection of discontinuities on conductive substrates

  • ASTM D5162: Holiday testing of non-conductive coatings
  • ISO 29601: Assessment of porosity in dry coating films
  • AMPP / NACE SP0188: Discontinuity (holiday) testing of protective coatings

Compressed air

Verification of compressed air quality prior to abrasive blasting or coating application

  • ASTM D4285: Oil and water contamination in compressed air — Blotter Test

ASTM field testing

Frequently used standards for coating inspection and surface preparation

  • ASTM D4417: Measurement of surface profile of blast-cleaned steel
  • ASTM D4541: Portable pull-off adhesion test
  • ASTM D4752: MEK resistance test for zinc ethyl silicate coatings
  • ASTM D4940: Determination of conductive contamination of blast-cleaning abrasives
  • ASTM D5162: Holiday detection testing
  • ASTM D4285: Blotter Test

ISO 4628

Paints and varnishes — Evaluation of degradation of coatings

  • Part 1: Designation system
  • Part 2: Blistering assessment
  • Part 3: Rusting assessment
  • Part 4: Cracking assessment
  • Part 5: Flaking assessment
  • Part 6: Assessment of degree of chalking by tape method
  • Part 7: Assessment of degree of chalking by velvet method
  • Part 8: Assessment of delamination and corrosion around a scribe or artificial defect
  • Part 10: Assessment of degree of filiform corrosion

Specific processes and corrosion testing

References associated with salt spray testing, hot-dip galvanizing and thermal spray coating systems.

Salt spray testing

Salt spray corrosion testing

  • ASTM B117: Operating salt spray (fog) apparatus
  • ISO 9227: Corrosion tests in artificial atmospheres — Salt spray tests
  • ISO 7253: Neutral salt spray resistance testing

Hot-dip galvanizing

Zinc coatings — Corrosion protection of iron and steel

  • ISO 1461: Hot-dip galvanizing — Specifications and test methods
  • ISO 14713-1: General principles of design and corrosion resistance
  • ISO 14713-2: Hot dip galvanizing
  • ISO 14713-3: Sherardizing
  • NF A 35-503: Requirements for hot-dip galvanizing of steel components

Thermal spray coatings

Thermal spraying — Zinc, aluminium and alloy coatings — Corrosion protection

  • ISO 2063-1: Corrosion protection requirements
  • ISO 2063-2: Execution of thermal spray systems

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The complete bilingual EN/FR reference guide can be downloaded or opened above.