What is SSPC & NACE?
About SSPC
SSPC: The Society for Protective Coatings was founded in 1950 as the Steel Structures Painting Council, a non-profit professional society concerned with the use of coatings to protect industrial steel structures. In 1997, the name of the association was changed to The Society for Protective Coatings to better reflect the changing nature of coatings technology and the ever-expanding types of construction materials.
SSPC is the only non-profit association that is focused on the protection and preservation of concrete, steel and other industrial and marine structures and surfaces through the use of high-performance protective, marine and industrial coatings. SSPC is the leading source of information on surface preparation, coating selection, coating application, environmental regulations, and health and safety issues that affect the protective coatings industry. (http://www.sspc.org/about-us/about-us-what-is-sspc/)
About NACE
World’s largest organization dedicated to the study of corrosion
NACE International is the global voice of the corrosion control and prevention industry. NACE seeks to:
- educate corrosion professionals in all relevant industries through training and certification;
- establish industry-wide communication through membership events and activities;
- promote research of new technology through trade standards and publications;
- advocate on behalf of corrosion experts among public and private sectors.
(http://www.nace.org/About-NACE)
Specification Definition summary
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).
SSPC-SP12 / NACE 5 Surface Preparation and Cleaning of Steel and Other Hard
Materials by High- and Ultra High- Pressure Water Jetting Prior to Recoating
This standard requires water jetting at high- or ultra high-pressure to prepare a surface for recoating using
pressure above 10,000 psi. Water jetting will not produce a profile; rather, it exposes the original
abrasive-blasted surface profile. Water jetting shall be performed to meet four conditions: WJ-1, WJ-2,
WJ-3, and WJ-4, and a minimum acceptable surface shall have all loose rust, loose mill scale, and loose
coatings uniformly removed.
SSPC-SP13 / NACE 6 Surface Preparation of Concrete
Provides requirements for surface preparation of concrete by mechanical, chemical, or thermal methods prior to the application of bonded protective coating or lining systems.
SSPC-SP14 / NACE 8 Industrial Blast Cleaning
Removal of all visible oil, grease, dust and dirt, when viewed without magnification. Traces of tightly
adherent mil scale, rust, and coating residues are permitted to remain on 10% of each unit area of the surface if they are evenly distributed. Shadows, streaks, and discoloration caused by stains of rust, stains of mill scale, and stains of previously applied coating may be present on the remainder of the surface.