PAINT FILM DEFECTS

Causes & Cure

 Agenda

• Introduction
• Corrosion Chemistry
• Surface Preparation
• Recommended Painting System at IPCL
• Application
• Inspection & Control
 Corrosion

Corrosion is the gradual deterioration of a metal

by electrochemical reaction with air and moisture

Corrosion occurs as refined metals attempt to

reach their lowest energy state i.e. their oxide
state
 Chemistry

Fe + H20 + 02 Fe203. x H20 (Rust)

A Galvanic process akin to a dry cell battery

Moisture provides the medium (electrolyte) and

air, the oxygen

Compositional difference, differential stress,

surface contamination, mill scale form the anode
and cathode
 Rust to Rust
Ore

Rust Corrosion Cycle Steel

Structure
 Surface Protection
Coatings having one or more of the features listed
below holds the key
• Barrier : Blocks air, moisture & weathering agents
• Inhibitive : Prevents the ionic path
• Cathodic : Sacrificially corrodes
• Anti-Decay : Prevents fungus, mould, mildew
 Coating Range

Diverse environments lead to diverse resin usage

and as a result coatings are classified based on
the principal resin used
 Surface Preparation

Is surface preparation really important?

YES!!!
More than 75% of all premature coatings failures
are a result of poor or incomplete surface
preparation.
 Surface Preparation

“And what more is that the effective lifetime of a

coating applied onto a substrate depends to a large
extent on how thoroughly the surface is prepared
prior to painting. Sadly, this aspect is quite often
neglected”
 Surface Preparation

• Surface Preparation can include

– Removal of oil and grease, soil, salts and other
contaminants
– Removal of rust and mill-scale
– Creation of anchor Profile
 Surface Preparation
• And may involve
– Chemical / Solvent
cleaning
– Hand and power tools
– Flame Cleaning
– Steam Cleaning
– Water jet cleaning
– Abrasive Blast
Cleaning
 Surface Preparation: Cleanliness
Standards

Cleaning Swedish ISO SSPC NACE

Method Standard Standard Standards Standards
Hand Tool St 2 - SSPC-SP 2
Power Tool St 3 - SSPC-SP 3
White Metal Sa 3 Sa 3 SSPC-SP 5 NACE = 1
Near White Sa 2.5 Sa 2.5 SSPC-SP 10 NACE = 2
Metal
Commercial Sa 2 Sa 2 SSPC-SP 6 NACE = 3
Blast
Brush Off Sa 1 Sa 1 SSPC-SP 7 NACE = 4
Blast
Rust Grades: Visual presentation
As per ISO 8501 - 010

A B

C D
 Surface Preparation:
Cleanliness Standards (Visual )

A Sa 2 1-2 A Sa 3
 Surface Preparation:
Cleanliness Standards (Visual)

B St 2 B St 3 B Sa 1

B Sa 2 B Sa 2.5 B Sa 3
 Surface Preparation:
Cleanliness Standards (Visual
presentation)

C St 2 C St 3 C Sa 1

C Sa 2 C Sa 2.5 C Sa 3
 Surface Preparation:
Cleanliness Standards (Visual
presentation)

D St 2 D St 3 D Sa 1

D Sa 2 D Sa 2.5 D Sa 3
 Application Tools
• Brush Application
– Versatile, minimal wastage
– Slow, Labour oriented, brush marks

• Roller Application
– Suited for broad plain surface
– Slow, Labour oriented

• Spray Applications
– Quick, uniform finish
– High wastage, costly operations
 Spray Application
• Air Spray
– High finish quality
– High loss, Low build
• Airless Spray
– Lower loss, High Build
– Coarse finish
 Twin feed airless
 Solvent free & high solid products
 Mixing of base & hardener at the nozzle tip
 Application Considerations
• Contamination ( Substrate & Coating)
• Application conditions ( Temp & Wind Vel.)
• Humidity ( % RH < 85, DP + 3 Deg C )
• Solvent & Thinner as per recommendation
• Fresh water rinsing of salts
 Inspection Plan
Coating Material
– Brand, Batch No.& Shelf Life
– Mixing Ratio for 2 Pack products
– Test Certificate / QAP
– Data Sheet
– MSDS
– Thinner, Cleaners & Touch up material
– Storage Conditions
– System Specification
 Inspection Plan
Surface Preparation
– Availability of Standard Equipments & Spares
– Blasting Media –contamination
– Surface Contamination
– Cleanliness Standards & Measurement of Surface Profile
– Interval between Cleaning & Painting
– % RH & Surface Temperature
– Trained Operators
– Supervision & Controls
 Inspection Plan
Application
– Availability of Standard Equipments & Spares
– Selection of Nozzle & Air Pressure
– Mixing of Paints & Induction Time
– Selection and addition of thinner
– Substrate Temperature & Dew Point
– Substrate Condition
– Coating Intervals & Pot life
– Wet Film Thickness
– Edge Coverage
 Inspection Plan

Applied Coating
– Dry Film Thickness
– Film Imperfections (visual)
– Film Discontinuities
 HOW COATINGS WORK ?
• INSULATION OF OF SUBSTRATE FROM EXTERNAL
ENVIRONMENT BY PAINT FILM
– LOW PERMEABILTY TO CORRODENTS
– PREVENTION OF RUSTING & CORROSION

• ESSENTIAL PROPERTIES OF COATING

-- Strong adhesion with substrate
-- Excellent wetting on substrate
-- Low permeability
-- Cohesive & Adhesive strength to withstand stress
-- Good mechanical properties and chemical
resistance
 REASONS FOR COATING FAILURE
• IMPROPER DESIGN
-- Product formulation & system design
-- Selection of improper coating systems

• POOR SURFACE PREPARATION

• APPLICATION RELATED FAILURES

• STRESS RELATED FAILURES

• ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
– Microbial Growth
 FAULTY DESIGN

PERMEABILITY
– P(pigment) : B(binder) ratio, %PVC,
– Type of pigment
– Cross-link density
30
– DFT 25
RUSTING
Properties of coating varies with PVC 20
(Pigment Volume concentration) 15
BLISTERING

PVC = (VOL OF PIGMENT) * 100 10

5 PERMEABILITY
(VOL OF PIGMENT + VOL OF BINDER)
0
20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60

PVC %
 PERMEABILITY
• Influenced by
– CPVC- CRTICIAL PIGMENT VOLUME CONCENTRATION
(FORMULATION)
• Permeability increases above CPVC & vice versa

– DRY FILM THICKNESS

• Permeability reduces as film thickness increases

– CROSS LINK DENSITY

• Thermoset coatings have high
cross-linking & lower permeability

FIG : CROSSLINKED NETWORK POLYMER

 PERMEABILITY

PLATY PIGMENTS
REDUCE PERMEABILITY
Glass-flake , mica,
aluminium flake,

FILM DEFECTS INCREASE

PERMEABILITY
Example- Pinholes
increases permeability

PINHOLES
 FAULTY DESIGN
IMPROPER COATING SELECTION

FAILURE OF WRONGLY
SPECIFIED TOP COAT
APPLIED OVER INTACT
SHOP PRIMER

Alkyd T/C over IZS coating

 FAULTY DESIGN
USAGE OF INCOMPATIBLE COATING SYSTEMS

COATING SYSTEM FAILURE DUE TO INCOMPATIBILTY

BETWEEN TOP AND BOTTOM COATS
 POOR SURFACE PREPARATION
• 75% failures attributed to faulty surface preparation.

• Service life of coating system is enhanced by 50-100%

between manual vis-à-vis blast cleaned steel.

• Coating fails miserably if there is underneath mill scale,

rust, soluble salts, oils & greases.

• Surface contaminants
– Impairs wetting
– Affects adhesion
– Promotes blisters / rusting
– Causes delamination
Adhesion Failure
 Adhesion Failure
Causes :

Surface contamination or condensation

Remedies :

-- Ensure that the surface is clean, dry and free from

any contamination and that the surface has been
suitably prepared.
-- Use the correct coating specification.
 ADHESION FAILURES

SUBSTRATE SURFACE CONTAMINATION

RUST
SCALES

INTERCOAT CONTAMINATION CONDENSATION

Bittiness
 Bittiness
Causes

The main cause is contamination within or on the surface of

the paint film. This can be paint skin, gelled particles, airborne
sand and grit or contamination from brushes, rollers etc.

Remedies

Use clean application equipment and clean working

environment. Use new, uncontaminated paint. Follow good
painting practices.
Bleaching
 Bleaching

Causes :

Bleaching due to weathering or chemical attack.

Remedies :

Use colour stable pigments or a system which will

withstand the chemical environment.
Bleeding
 Bleeding
Causes :

'Bleed Through' is generally a full or partial

redissolving of the previous coat. Bleeding can
happen when strong solvents are used in the
topcoats.

Remedies :

Use correct coating specification and materials. Use

compatible materials. Use appropriate sealer coat.
Blistering
 Blistering
Causes :

Localised loss of adhesion caused by

contamination with grease, oil, salts,
rust, trapped moisture, retained solvent, hydrogen vapour
pressure (on coatings used with cathodic protection), etc.
Osmotic blistering can also occur in immersed conditions.

Remedies :

Ensure correct surface preparation and application. Apply a

suitable coating system.
 BLISTERING

ENTRAPPED SOLVENTS
BLISTERING

OSMOTIC BLISTERING HYDROGEN EVOLUTION

BALLAST TANK ( CATHODIC
PROTECTION )
Brush Marks
 Brush Marks
Causes :

Viscosity of material may be too high for brush

application; Incorrect thinners used in the paint;
Inadequate mixing or poor application technique. Two-
pack paints may have exceeded application pot-life.

Remedies :

Use brushing grade of paint and apply adequate

thickness. Thin paint to brushing viscosity. Use within
pot-life
Bubbling
 Bubbling
Causes :

Trapped air/solvent within the coating which is not released

before the surface dries. Can be found with factory applied
coatings where application is by dipping, electrodeposition

Remedies :

Spray application - use airless spray equipment, reduce

viscosity with thinners. Use correct mixing equipment to
ensure air is not stirred in during mixing. Add defoaming
agent to emulsion paints.
Chalking
 Chalking

Causes :

Disintegration of the paint binder on exposure to

weathering and/or UV light.

Remedies :

Apply a topcoat with high resistance to chalking,

such as a polyurethane of acrylic.
Checking
 Checking

Causes :

Typically a formulation and/or a specification problem.

As with cracking, stresses are developed which cause
the surface of the paint film to become brittle and crack.
Limited paint flexibility.

Remedies :

Use a correctly formulated coating system

Cheesiness
 Cheesiness

Causes :
Wrong mixing ratio for two-pack paints. Too low a
drying/curing temperature. Excessive solvent retained
within the coating.

Remedies :
Ensure adequate mixing of two-pack paints. Only use
the recommended amount of thinners. Apply and cure
the coating under controlled environmental conditions.
Cissing
 Cissing

Causes :
Surface contamination by either moisture or foreign
matter such as oil, grease, silicone etc. Also known to
happen when incorrect solvent blends have been
used.

Remedies :
Ensure surface is clean and free from grease, oil and
foreign contaminates prior to application of coating.
Cracking
 Cracking

Causes :
Cracking is generally a stress related failure and can
be attributed to surface movement, ageing, absorption
and desorption of moisture and general lack of
flexibility of the coating. The thicker the paint film the
greater the possibility it will cracks.

Remedies :
Use correct coating systems, application techniques
and dry film thicknesses. Alternatively, use a more
flexible coating system.
Cratering
 Cratering

Causes :
Trapped air bubbles which have burst to leave
small craters as the coating dries. The coating
has insufficient time to flow into a uniform film.

Remedies :
Improve spray technique to avoid air
entrainment. Add thinners as recommended by
the paint supplier.
Delamination
 Delamination

Causes :

Provided compatible paint materials have been used,

delamination defects are generally related to poor surface
preparation and application defects, such as contamination
between coats; exceeding overcoat times; application to a
glossy surface.

Remedies :

no contamination between paint coats, closely follow intercoat

times, lightly abrade and clean glossy surfaces between coats.
Dry Spray
 Dry Spray

Causes :
Incorrect spray application i.e. gun distance. Also
associated with fast drying products and too high an
application temperature.

Remedies :
Use correct coating application equipment and
techniques. Use a slower drying solvent or solvent
blend. Follow recommended application procedures.
Efflorescence
 Efflorescence
Causes :

Soluble salts within the substrate. Moisture brings

the salts to the surface of the substrate resulting in
coating adhesion failure.

Remedies :

Ensure surface is moisture free, clean and suitable

for application of the coating system. Remove or
eliminate the source of moisture
Holidays
 Holidays

Causes :

Poor application techniques. Lack of quality

control.

Remedies :

Use correct application techniques. Apply good

painting practices. Use inspection.
Mud Cracking
 Mud Cracking

Causes :

Generally over application of heavily pigmented primers

such as inorganic zinc silicates or water based
coatings, although can occur with other over thick
systems.

Remedies :

Only apply the recommended coating thickness. Use

recommended application techniques with suitably
formulated products.
Orange Peel
 Orange Peel

Causes :

Failure of the paint film to flow out. Usually caused

by poor application techniques or by incorrect
solvent blend

Remedies :

Use correct application techniques with suitably

formulated products
Rippled Coating
 Rippled Coating
Causes :

Strong wind blowing across the surface of wet paint

causes it to ripple. Where this is on the underside, the
ripples can hang down in the form of small stalactites

Remedies :

Do not apply paint under unfavourable conditions.

Sagging
 Sagging
Causes :

Over application of paint, excessive thinners, wrong

(lack) of curing agent or just poor workmanship. Could,
in extreme circumstances, be a formulation problem.

Remedies :

Use correct application techniques with suitably

formulated products.
Rust Spotting
 Rust Spotting

Causes :
Low film thickness, voids and holidays, also defects in the
steel i.e. laminations. Too high a surface profile may cause
penetration of peaks through a paint film and cause rust
spotting. May also occur from metallic contamination of a
coated surface by grinding dust etc.

Remedies :
Apply an adequate primer coat. Ensure coating system
adequately covers the surface profile. Use a thicker coating
system or a lower blast profile. Protection coating from
contamination with grinding dust etc.
Settling
 Settling
Causes :

Old stock, heavily pigmented paint, wrong

formulation or contamination of product. Can be a
problem with zinc rich primers

Remedies :

Use products within shelf life. Use adequate mixing

procedures. Keep paint mixed or recirculated
during spray application
Solvent Popping
 Solvent Popping
Causes :

Incorrect solvent blends, porous surfaces and

wrong environmental conditions

Remedies :

-- User correct coating specifications and materials.

Correct application techniques and environmental
conditions.
-- Repair lightly abrade and clean the surface and
apply undercoat/topcoat.
Wrinkling
 Wrinkling
Causes :
Usually due to the initial formation of a surface skin
with solvent based paints. Also swelling of the coating
from solvent attack. Can arise from overcoating before
the previous coat has adequately hardened.

Remedies :
Use correct coating specification and materials.
Adequate mixing, application and curing of materials.
Follow the paint suppliers recommended overcoating
times
Zinc Carbonates
 Zinc Carbonates
Causes :

White rust or carbonates on the surface of galvanising

prior to application of the paint coating. Corrosion of
zinc under the paint surface. Can be similar to rash
rusting but white in colour.

Remedies :

Seal zinc coating from the environment and application

of an appropriate protective coating system.
 CORROSION
Possible Causes Maintenance
Correction
Salt contamination Check and if still
present, wash with
fresh water
Pinholes, porous Feather off edges of
film or damages damages
Mill scale or Abrade or blast clean
remnants of rust mill scaled or rusty
areas
Grit inclusions Remove by chipping
or abrading
 CORROSION
Contd

Possible Causes Maintenance Correction

Pittings Investigate the cause. Pittings
should be grinded and filled. It
is impossible to coat pittings
totally by spray application
and sometimes even not by
brush
Too low dry film Upgrade DFT of maintenance
thickness system
Aggressive Stop splash and spillage or
chemicals / change paint system
solvents
 DETACHMENT

Possible Causes Maintenance Correction

Intercoat contamination Check and remove defective
within latest applied system paint
or over coating times too
long
Incompatibility of paint  Check specification.
coats within latest applied  Change paint system.
system or with old system
eg exudation
Attack by aggressive  Change paint system.
solvents to old system  Remove all paint
(swelling)
 DETACHMENT
Contd

Possible Causes Maintenance

Correction
Internal stresses  Check DFT of total
leading to detachment system.
from bare steel. Too  Remove all paint
thick coat or quick
temperature change
see also cause
blisters
Detachment from  Check the extend of
bare steel initiated by under creep.
cracks and moisture  Remove defective
paint.
 BLISTERS

Possible Causes Maintenance Correction

Soluble salts present Check and if still present
under or in between wash with fresh water
the paint coats
Cathodic over Adjust CP and / or change
protection paint system
Contamination or Thorough degreasing
grease present under before painting
or between coats
Trapped moisture due Application on dry
to painting over damp substrate
substrate
 BLISTERS
Contd
Possible Causes Maintenance Correction
Permeation with Take preventive measures
chemicals, solvents or change paint system
and water
(condensation)
Solvent trap in case Allow thorough drying in
of thick film between coats
application
Too short The conditions during
overcoating time or maintenance should be
application at too low improved
temperature
 CHECKING -CRACKING
Possible Causes Maintenance Correction
Hard coating on top of  Check if still soft
a soft coating. material is present
(checking) Sometimes underneath.
caused by a too short  Abrade checked paint
overcoating interval or completely.
by the application of a  Adjust paint system.
too high film thickness
Hard coating on top of  Check if still soft
a soft old coating material is present
(cracking) underneath.
 Abrade cracked paint
completely.
 Adjust paint system.
THANK YOU