Surface Preparation Standards Prior To Coating And Painting Steel Surfaces

This document is in three (3) sections

Section 2 = An outline of the start condition

Section 3 = Cleaning Specifications

Section 1 = An Outline Of What The Swedish Standards Represent

These standards have been adopted by steel manufacturing industries worldwide for several decades, however it is worth revisiting and understanding these essential points.

The effective life of a coating of anti-corrosive paint applied to a steel surface is to a very large extent dependent on how thoroughly the surface has been prepared prior to painting.

It is also important to be able to specify clearly the quality of preparation required in each particular case.  Accordingly, a Standard has been approved. It specifies four grades of rusting and a number of preparation grades.  Each establishes a quality grade or preparation prior to protective painting on a steel surface from a standard rust grade. These grades are presented in this Standard as a series of prints, which provide a clearer and more rapidly appreciated definition than a verbal description.

The Standard has been prepared by the Swedish Corrosion Institute in cooperation with the American Society for Testing and Materials, ASTM, and Steel Structures Painting Council, SSPC, USA.

In the specifications relating to preparation of surfaces prior to painting, the SSPC and SIS designations correspond as follows:

Click here to read Section 2 of The Swedish Standards (start condition and rust grades)