Extended Operational and Trade Vocabulary

Marine Surface Preparation and Coatings Application glossary

The surface-preparation vocabulary: abrasive blast cleaning and the anchor profile, abrasive metering valves and recyclability (steel grit versus garnet), adhesion measured by pull-off, and the substrate-preparation and application-condition terms. Grounds each term in the blasting method or the coating-application standard it belongs to.

273 defined terms.

Showing 250 on this page (page 1 of 2).

A

Abrasive Blast Cleaning: Mechanical surface preparation method propelling abrasive media against a substrate using compressed air, centrifugal wheels, or water to remove mill scale, rust, and existing coatings while…
Abrasive Metering Valve: Adjustable valve mounted beneath a blast pot that regulates the flow of dry abrasive into the compressed air stream feeding the blast hose.
Abrasive Recyclability: Property describing the number of reuse cycles an abrasive can sustain before fracturing into fines, with steel grit typically recycled 100 to 200 cycles and garnet typically 4 to 8 cycles.
Adhesion: Bond strength between a coating film and its substrate or between successive coating layers, measured by pull-off or cross-cut tests.
Aftercooler: Heat exchanger installed downstream of a compressor to lower compressed air temperature and condense moisture before it enters blast or breathing air circuits.
Air Blast Cleaning: Open-nozzle dry abrasive blast cleaning method covered by ISO 8504-2 in which compressed air propels abrasive through a nozzle against the substrate.
Air Cap: Component of a conventional or HVLP spray gun that directs shaping air onto the atomized paint fan.
Airless spray: Application method using hydraulic pressure to atomize paint through a small orifice tip, standard for heavy-duty marine coatings.
Aliphatic polyurethane: Topcoat chemistry providing excellent color and gloss retention under UV exposure, used on superstructures and topsides.
Aluminum Oxide: Hard, angular synthetic abrasive (Al2O3) used for blast cleaning and for the cutting media in coated abrasives, recyclable in cabinet blasting.
AMPP: Association for Materials Protection and Performance, formed in 2021 by the merger of NACE International and SSPC, that administers coatings inspector and corrosion certifications.
AMPP CCI: Certified Coatings Inspector program launched by AMPP in 2024 with Level 1 and Level 2 tiers, succeeding the NACE CIP credential.
Anchor Pattern: Geometric layout of mooring legs around a moored unit.
Anode Shield: Dielectric coating applied around a hull-mounted impressed-current or sacrificial anode to prevent cathodic disbondment of adjacent paint.
Anticorrosive primer: First or second coat in a marine paint system, usually epoxy-based, that provides the principal barrier against corrosion.
Antifouling Coating: Final coating on submerged hulls designed to prevent settlement and growth of marine organisms by biocide release or low-surface-energy fouling release.
Applicator Certification: Documented qualification of a coatings tradesperson against schemes such as NACE CAP, SSPC C7/C12, or AMPP applicator programs.
ASTM D3359: Standard test method for rating adhesion by tape test, including the X-cut and cross-hatch procedures.
ASTM D4138: Standard practice for measurement of dry film thickness of protective coating systems by destructive cross-sectional means using a Tooke gauge.
ASTM D4285: Standard test method for indicating oil or water in compressed air using a white blotter held downstream of the air supply.
ASTM D4414: Standard practice for measurement of wet film thickness by notched gauge.
ASTM D4417: Standard test methods for field measurement of surface profile of blast-cleaned steel, covering Method A depth micrometer, Method B comparator, and Method C replica tape.
ASTM D4541: Standard test method for pull-off strength of coatings using portable adhesion testers such as the PosiTest AT or Elcometer 506.
ASTM D5162: Standard practice for discontinuity (holiday) testing of nonconductive protective coatings on metallic substrates, covering low-voltage wet sponge Type I and high-voltage spark Type II procedures.
ASTM D5402: Standard practice for assessing the solvent resistance of an organic coating using solvent rubs.
ASTM D6132: Standard test method for nondestructive measurement of dry film thickness of applied organic coatings using an ultrasonic coating thickness gauge.
ASTM D7091: Standard practice for nondestructive measurement of dry film thickness of nonmagnetic coatings on ferrous metals and nonconductive coatings on nonferrous metals.
ASTM D7393: Standard practice for indicating oil in abrasives.
ASTM E337: Standard test method for measuring humidity with a psychrometer using wet- and dry-bulb temperatures.
ASTM G42: Standard test method for cathodic disbonding of pipeline coatings subjected to elevated temperatures.
ASTM G62: Standard test methods for holiday detection in pipeline coatings.
ASTM G8: Standard test methods for cathodic disbonding of pipeline coatings.
Atlas Copco: Swedish manufacturer of marine air compressors, including the LE and LF reciprocating ranges.

B

Ballast Water Tank Coating: Protective coating system applied to seawater ballast tanks, governed for new construction by IMO Resolution MSC.215(82) PSPC requirements.
Barrier Coating: Coating relying on low permeability to water, oxygen, and ions to protect the substrate, exemplified by high-build epoxies and glass-flake epoxies.
Be (Flame Cleaning): Symbol historically used in ISO 8501-1 for flame cleaning to remove rust and mill scale.
Binks: US manufacturer of spray equipment including airless, air-assisted airless, and conventional spray guns.
Blast Pot: ASME pressure vessel that holds dry abrasive under pressure and meters it into the compressed air stream feeding the blast nozzle.
Boot-topping: Coating zone between light and load waterlines, painted with specific antifouling system.
Bresle Patch: Self-adhesive cell described in ISO 8502-6 used to extract soluble salts from a prepared surface for conductivity measurement.
Bresle Test: ISO 8502-6 method for assessing soluble contaminants on a surface by injecting deionized water into a Bresle patch and measuring conductivity to derive surface salt density in mg/m2.
Brush-Off Blast: Low-grade blast cleaning equivalent to SSPC-SP 7 and ISO 8501-1 Sa 1, removing loose mill scale, loose rust, and loose coating.
Bull Hose: Large-diameter air supply hose connecting compressor to blast pot.

C

Carboline: US coatings manufacturer whose Carboguard 893 epoxy and Carbozinc 11 inorganic zinc silicate are widely used in marine specifications.
Cargo Hold Coating: Coating system for dry bulk carrier holds, commonly pure epoxy or coal-tar epoxy, selected for abrasion resistance and cargo compatibility.
Cargo Tank Coating: Lining applied to chemical or product tanker tanks, typically pure epoxy, phenolic epoxy, or inorganic zinc silicate depending on cargo compatibility.
Cat Pumps: US manufacturer of positive-displacement triplex pumps used in pressure washing and water-jetting equipment.
Cathodic disbondment: Loss of adhesion between coating and steel under cathodic polarization, a key qualification test for tank coatings.
Cellulose Acetate Tape: Material of the Testex Press-O-Film replica tape used to capture a reverse impression of surface profile for measurement under ISO 8503-5.
Centrifugal Wheel Blast: Airless surface preparation method covered by ISO 8504-2 in which a rotating bladed wheel throws abrasive against the workpiece.
Ceramic Nozzle: Blast nozzle liner of silicon carbide, boron carbide, or tungsten carbide selected for wear life and cost relative to expected hours of service.
Chloride Contamination: Presence of chloride ions on a substrate, primarily from marine atmospheres, that accelerates underfilm corrosion and is quantified by Bresle, Chlor*Test, or conductivity methods.
CIP Level 1: NACE/AMPP Coating Inspector Program first qualification level for protective coatings inspectors.
CIP Level 2: NACE/AMPP intermediate Coating Inspector Program certification covering offshore and marine work.
CIP Level 3: NACE/AMPP senior Coating Inspector certification including peer review.
Clemco: US manufacturer of blast cleaning equipment including blast pots, deadman valves, and Apollo supplied-air respirators.
Coal Slag: Disposable angular abrasive byproduct of coal-fired power generation marketed under names including Black Beauty.
Coal tar epoxy: Historic tank lining combining epoxy with coal tar pitch; restricted today due to PAH content and tank coating PSPC requirements.
Coating system: Defined combination of primer, intermediate, and topcoat that together meet the required performance specification.
Comparator: ISO 8503 surface profile comparator used by inspectors to visually grade blast-cleaned steel.
Comparator Type G: ISO 8503-2 reference panel for surfaces blast cleaned with grit-type abrasive.
Comparator Type S: ISO 8503-2 reference panel for surfaces blast cleaned with shot-type abrasive.
Compressed Air Quality: Cleanliness of air supplied to blast and spray equipment, verified by ASTM D4285 blotter test and graded for breathing air to Grade D per CGA G-7.1.
Condensation: Formation of liquid water on a surface when its temperature falls to or below the dew point, prevented by maintaining substrate temperature at least 3 degrees C above dew point per ISO 8502-4.
Conductivity Method: ISO 8502-9 on-site procedure for determining total surface density of soluble salts by measuring conductivity of extract water.
Copper slag: Single-use expendable abrasive widely used in shipyards for grit blasting.
Cross-Cut Adhesion Test: ASTM D3359 procedure scoring coating adhesion by tape pull over a lattice of scribed cuts.
Cure: Successful salvage outcome that triggers a reward under the no cure no pay principle.

D

Deadman Valve: Spring-loaded blast control handle required by OSHA 29 CFR 1910.244(b) that stops abrasive and air flow when released by the operator.
DeFelsko: US manufacturer of PosiTector coating inspection instruments and PosiTest adhesion testers.
Desiccant Air Dryer: Compressed air dryer using regenerable adsorbent beads to remove moisture to low dew points for blast or breathing air service.
Dew Point: Temperature at which water vapor condenses; key to ventilation decisions.
DFT: Dry film thickness, the measured thickness of the cured coating, expressed in micrometers.
Discontinuity: Pinhole, crack, or thin spot in a coating that exposes the substrate, detected by holiday testing per ASTM D5162 or G62.
Dry Abrasive Blast Cleaning: Surface preparation method covered by ISO 8504-2 using dry abrasive propelled by compressed air or centrifugal wheel.
Dust Assessment: ISO 8502-3 method using transparent pressure-sensitive tape to evaluate dust quantity and size on blast-cleaned surfaces, rated by classes 0 to 5 for quantity and classes 0 to 5 for particle size.

E

Edge retention: Capability of a coating to maintain dry film thickness over sharp edges, important for tank-lining qualification.
Elcometer: Brand name commonly used generically for coating inspection instruments.
Elcometer 121: Cross-hatch cutter for adhesion testing per ISO 2409 and ASTM D3359.
Elcometer 130: Surface salt contamination meter for in-situ Bresle conductivity measurement.
Elcometer 138: Surface contamination test kit including Bresle patches and conductivity meter.
Elcometer 224: Digital surface profile gauge measuring peak-to-valley profile on blast-cleaned steel.
Elcometer 456: Widely used digital DFT gauge for marine coatings inspection.
Elcometer 506: Mechanical and hydraulic pull-off adhesion tester compliant with ASTM D4541 and ISO 4624.
Epoxy: Generic resin family forming the backbone of marine anticorrosive primers and tank linings.
Ethyl Silicate: Binder system for inorganic zinc-rich primers that cures by hydrolysis with atmospheric moisture.

F

Falch GmbH: German manufacturer of ultra-high-pressure water-jetting equipment used in surface preparation.
Ferrous Ion Test: ISO 8502-12 method using Merck Quantofix or equivalent test paper to detect Fe2+ contamination on a surface.
Fl (Flame Cleaning): ISO 8501-1 symbol for flame cleaning preparation of steel.
Flash Rust: Light surface rust forming on freshly water-blasted steel before coating, graded NV (none visible), L (light), M (medium), and H (heavy) under SSPC-SP 12.
Float coat: Single thick coat applied wet-on-wet to limit overcoating intervals.
Fouling Release Coating: Antifouling system based on low surface energy silicone or fluoropolymer that allows fouling to detach under hydrodynamic shear rather than by biocide release.
FROSIO: Norwegian Professional Council for Education and Certification of Inspectors for Surface Treatment, issuing inspector qualifications widely used in marine and offshore work.
FROSIO Inspector: Norwegian certified coating inspector recognized for newbuild and repair work.

G

Garnet: Naturally occurring abrasive, often almandite garnet, valued for low dust and recyclability.
Glass Bead: Spherical soda-lime glass abrasive used for peening and cleaning without significant material removal.
Glass Flake: Coating reinforcement of milled C-glass platelets that lengthens diffusion paths and improves abrasion resistance in epoxy and vinyl ester systems.
Graco: US manufacturer of fluid handling equipment including King and Xtreme airless spray pumps for protective coatings.
Graco King 45:1: Airless paint pump with 45 to 1 fluid pressure ratio used for spraying medium-to-high-viscosity coatings.
Graco King 56:1: Airless paint pump with 56 to 1 fluid pressure ratio for high-build epoxies.
Graco King 68:1: Airless paint pump with 68 to 1 fluid pressure ratio for the most viscous protective coatings.
Graco Xtreme 70:1: Severe-duty airless protective coatings pump with 70 to 1 fluid pressure ratio.
Grit: Generic term for angular abrasive used in surface preparation.

H

Hammelmann: German manufacturer of high-pressure and ultra-high-pressure plunger pumps used in water jetting and hydrodemolition.
Hand Tool Cleaning: Surface preparation by manual scraping, chipping, and wire brushing in accordance with SSPC-SP 2 and ISO 8501-1 St 2.
Heat-resistant silicone: Coating chemistry capable of service to about 600 degrees Celsius for exhaust uptakes.
Hempadur 47140: Hempel two-component amine-cured epoxy widely specified as anticorrosive and tank lining.
Hempathane 55210: Hempel aliphatic two-component polyurethane topcoat.
Hempel: Danish marine coatings manufacturer founded in 1915 by J.C. Hempel, headquartered in Lyngby.
High-Build Epoxy: Epoxy coating formulated to be applied in single coats of 200 to 500 micrometers DFT.
High-Voltage Holiday Detector: Spark testing instrument typically operating at 800 to 30,000 volts DC used to detect discontinuities in tank linings and pipeline coatings thicker than 500 micrometers per ASTM D5162 Type II and…
Holding primer: Quick-drying shop primer applied to blasted steel plate to maintain cleanliness during fabrication.
Holiday: Coating discontinuity such as a missed area, pinhole, or thin spot.
Holiday detector: Low- or high-voltage instrument used to find coating discontinuities by electrical contact through the film to the substrate.
Hydroblasting: Ultra-high-pressure water jetting used for paint removal and surface preparation without abrasive.

I

ICorr: Institute of Corrosion, UK professional body that administers coating inspector certifications including ICorr Painting Inspector Level 1, 2, and 3.
IMO Resolution MSC.215(82): International Maritime Organization Performance Standard for Protective Coatings adopted in 2006 for dedicated seawater ballast tanks and double-side skin spaces of bulk carriers.
Impressed Current Cathodic Protection: Corrosion protection method that drives DC current through the electrolyte from inert anodes to a coated steel structure to suppress anodic dissolution.
Industrial Blast: Surface preparation grade defined in SSPC-SP 14, intermediate between commercial and brush-off blast.
Ingersoll-Rand: US manufacturer of portable air compressors used to power blast cleaning equipment.
Inorganic Zinc Silicate: Single-package or two-component primer with ethyl silicate or alkali silicate binder loaded with zinc dust at typically 75 to 80 percent by weight in the dry film.
Inspection Test Plan: Document defining hold, witness, and surveillance points during surface preparation and coating application.
Interfine 878: International Paint aliphatic acrylic polysiloxane topcoat.
Intergard 269: International Paint two-component epoxy holding primer for shop application.
Intumescent coating: Passive fire protection coating that swells when heated, used on offshore topsides; not a primary ship product but available in marine ranges.
ISO 8501-1: Standard defining visual assessment of rust grades and preparation grades St 2, St 3, Sa 1, Sa 2, Sa 2.5, and Sa 3.
ISO 8501-2: International standard defining preparation grades for previously coated steel by localized cleaning, denoted P Sa, P St, and P Ma plus the grade number.
ISO 8501-3: Standard on preparation grades for welds, edges, and other areas with surface imperfections.
ISO 8501-4: International standard defining initial rust grades and preparation grades Wa 1, Wa 2, Wa 2.5, and Wa 3 for high- and ultra-high-pressure water-jetted steel.
ISO 8502-12: International standard for field determination of water-soluble ferrous ions by Merck Quantofix or equivalent test paper.
ISO 8502-3: Standard for assessment of dust on prepared surfaces using pressure-sensitive tape.
ISO 8502-4: International standard providing guidance on estimating the probability of condensation prior to coating application using wet-bulb and dry-bulb measurements.
ISO 8502-6: Bresle method for extraction of soluble contaminants from a surface for analysis.
ISO 8502-9: International standard for field determination of water-soluble salts by conductometric method.
ISO 8503-1: International standard specifying the technical requirements for ISO surface profile comparators.
ISO 8503-2: International standard describing the method for grading the surface profile of abrasive blast cleaned steel using the comparator.
ISO 8503-3: International standard describing calibration of ISO surface profile comparators by focusing microscope.
ISO 8503-4: International standard describing calibration of ISO surface profile comparators and assessment of profile by stylus instrument.
ISO 8503-5: International standard describing the replica tape method for determination of surface profile.
ISO 8504-1: International standard providing general principles for surface preparation methods.
ISO 8504-2: International standard describing abrasive blast cleaning methods including air, vacuum, and centrifugal wheel.
ISO 8504-3: International standard describing hand and power tool cleaning methods.
ISO 8504-4: International standard describing acid pickling for removal of mill scale and rust.

J

Jotamastic 87: Jotun two-component epoxy mastic surface-tolerant coating for maintenance and new construction.
Jotun: Norwegian coatings manufacturer founded in 1926 by Odd Gleditsch, headquartered in Sandefjord.
Jotun Hardtop AX: Jotun aliphatic polyurethane topcoat.

K

Kiln-Dried Abrasive: Abrasive processed to low moisture content to allow free flow through metering valves and prevent clogging.

L

Long-Venturi Nozzle: Blast nozzle geometry with extended converging-diverging bore that accelerates abrasive to higher exit velocity than straight-bore designs of equivalent throat diameter.
Low-Voltage Holiday Detector: Wet sponge instrument operating below 100 volts DC for detecting discontinuities in nonconductive coatings up to 500 micrometers thick per ASTM D5162 Type I.

M

Magnetic Pull-Off Gauge: Mechanical dry film thickness gauge that measures the force required to detach a permanent magnet from a ferrous substrate through the coating.
Maintenance Painting: Repair and overcoating of existing coating systems in service, addressed by ISO 8501-2 and SSPC-PA Guide 4.
Merck Quantofix: Test paper system manufactured by Macherey-Nagel and historically Merck for semi-quantitative detection of dissolved ions including iron.
Metal Spray: Application of zinc, aluminum, or zinc-aluminum coating by arc or flame spray per AWS C2.18 and ISO 2063.
MIL-PRF-23236: US Navy performance specification for coating systems for ship structures.
MIL-PRF-24441: US Navy performance specification for paint, epoxy-polyamide.
Mill Scale: Bluish iron oxide layer formed on hot-rolled steel during manufacture, removed during surface preparation before coating.
Moisture Separator: Centrifugal or coalescing device installed downstream of the aftercooler to remove condensed water from compressed air.

N

NACE CIP: Coating Inspector Program administered originally by NACE International and now by AMPP, comprising Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, and Senior Certified Coating Inspector.
NACE International: Professional organization founded in 1943 as the National Association of Corrosion Engineers, merged with SSPC in 2021 to form AMPP.
NACE SP0188: Standard practice for discontinuity (holiday) testing of new protective coatings on conductive substrates.
Near-White Blast: Surface preparation grade SSPC-SP 10, equivalent to ISO Sa 2.5, in which staining is permitted on no more than 5 percent of each unit area.
NLB: US manufacturer of high-pressure and ultra-high-pressure water-jetting pump units and accessories.
Norton Sandblasting Equipment: US manufacturer of blast pots and accessory equipment.
Nozzle: Restriction in chamber piping controlling fill rate.

O

Operating Pressure: Air pressure at the blast nozzle inlet, typically specified at 100 psi to maintain productivity, measured by needle gauge inserted through the hose wall.
Overcoating Interval: Minimum and maximum time between application of successive coats specified by the coating manufacturer.

P

Pangborn: US manufacturer of centrifugal wheel blast machines for shop preparation of steel plate and structurals.
Penetrometer: Instrument used to assess coating cure or hardness.
Phenolic epoxy: Cargo tank lining offering excellent solvent and chemical resistance.
Pickling: Acid immersion cleaning of steel covered by ISO 8504-4 that removes rust and mill scale.
Pinhole: Tiny hole in a coating film caused by trapped solvent or air, detected with a low-voltage holiday detector.
Plural Component Spray: Airless application equipment that meters and mixes resin and hardener at or near the gun for fast-set coatings.
PosiTector 6000: Magnetic induction and eddy-current dry film thickness gauge manufactured by DeFelsko.
PosiTector SST: Soluble salt tester by DeFelsko using Bresle patch and conductivity measurement.
PosiTest AT-A: Automatic hydraulic pull-off adhesion tester by DeFelsko compliant with ASTM D4541.
PosiTest AT-M: Manual hydraulic pull-off adhesion tester by DeFelsko compliant with ASTM D4541.
PosiTest DFT: Coating thickness gauge by DeFelsko.
Pot life: Period after mixing during which a two-pack coating remains workable.
Power Tool Cleaning: Surface preparation by powered wire brushes, sanders, needle scalers, or rotary impact tools per SSPC-SP 3 or ISO 8501-1 St 3.
Power Tool Cleaning to Bare Metal: Surface preparation grade SSPC-SP 11 requiring removal of all visible rust and coatings to bare metal with a minimum 25 micrometer profile.
PSPC: Performance Standard for Protective Coatings adopted by IMO resolution MSC.215(82).
PSPC Edge Treatment: Requirement under MSC.215(82) for sharp edges to be ground to a minimum 2 mm radius, three-pass power tool treated, or equivalent before coating.
PSPC Stripe Coat: First stripe coat applied to edges, weld seams, and complex areas by brush followed by a second stripe coat in shop or block stage per PSPC.
Pull-Off Adhesion: Tensile force per unit area required to detach a dolly bonded to a coating, measured per ASTM D4541 or ISO 4624.
Pure Epoxy: Epoxy coating without coal tar modification used as a non-PAH alternative for tanks, holds, and immersed surfaces.

Q

QPL: Qualified Products List published by a procurement authority listing products that have passed performance qualification, including the US Naval Sea Systems Command QPLs for MIL-PRF specifications.

R

RAC: Reversible Airless Changer, the Graco trade name for reversible airless spray tips that allow clearing without removal.
Recyclable Abrasive: Abrasive sufficiently resistant to fracture that it can be collected, cleaned, and reused, including steel grit, steel shot, garnet, and aluminum oxide.
Relative Humidity: Ratio of actual to saturation water vapor pressure.
Replica Tape: Compressible foam tape with incompressible polyester backing manufactured under the Testex Press-O-Film brand used to capture surface profile for measurement under ISO 8503-5 and ASTM D4417 Method C.
Replica Tape Coarse: Press-O-Film grade for profiles between 38 and 64 micrometers.
Replica Tape Coarse Minus: Press-O-Film grade for profiles between 13 and 25 micrometers.
Replica Tape Extra Coarse: Press-O-Film grade for profiles between 64 and 115 micrometers.
Replica Tape Extra Coarse Plus: Press-O-Film grade for profiles between 115 and 127 micrometers.
Replica Tape X-Coarse: Alternative designation for the Extra Coarse grade of Press-O-Film replica tape.
Roberts Sinto: Manufacturer of foundry and blast cleaning equipment including centrifugal wheel blasters.
Roughness Average: Arithmetic mean of profile departures from a mean line, denoted Ra and measured by stylus instrument.
Rust Grade A: ISO 8501-1 rust grade describing steel surface largely covered with adhering mill scale and little, if any, rust.
Rust Grade B: ISO 8501-1 rust grade describing steel surface beginning to rust and from which mill scale has begun to flake.
Rust Grade C: ISO 8501-1 rust grade describing steel surface on which mill scale has rusted away or can be scraped, with slight pitting visible under normal vision.
Rust Grade D: ISO 8501-1 rust grade describing steel surface on which mill scale has rusted away and on which general pitting is visible under normal vision.

S

Sa 1: ISO 8501-1 preparation grade Light Blast Cleaning.
Sa 2: ISO 8501-1 preparation grade Thorough Blast Cleaning.
Sa 2.5: ISO 8501-1 preparation grade Very Thorough Blast Cleaning, the standard for most marine epoxy primers.
Sa 3: ISO 8501-1 preparation grade Blast Cleaning to Visually Clean Steel.
Sandflo: Manufacturer of blast pots and blast room equipment.
SC-1: SSPC-SP 12 contaminant cleanliness designation requiring an extremely clean surface with no visible contaminants.
SC-2: SSPC-SP 12 contaminant cleanliness designation allowing very light surface staining.
SC-3: SSPC-SP 12 contaminant cleanliness designation allowing tightly adherent light shadows, streaks, and stains.
Schmidt: US blast equipment brand of Axxiom Manufacturing producing blast pots and accessories.
Self-polishing copolymer: Antifouling technology in which the binder polymer hydrolyzes at a controlled rate in seawater, exposing fresh biocide.
Sherwin-Williams: US coatings manufacturer founded in 1866 in Cleveland whose Protective and Marine Coatings division supplies marine systems.
Shop primer: Quick-drying weldable primer applied to blasted steel plate before construction.
Sigma Cover: PPG protective coatings range including epoxy mastics formerly marketed under the Sigma brand.
Silicone fouling-release: Coating chemistry based on PDMS that releases fouling under hydrodynamic shear without biocide.
Sling Psychrometer: Whirling instrument with wet- and dry-bulb thermometers used to determine ambient relative humidity and dew point per ASTM E337.
Slurry Blast: Surface preparation using a mixture of water and abrasive injected into a compressed air stream to reduce dust and embedment.
Soda Blasting: Surface preparation using sodium bicarbonate as a non-aggressive abrasive that fractures on impact to clean without significant profile generation.
Soluble Salt: Ionic contaminant on a surface including chloride, sulfate, and nitrate that promotes osmotic blistering and underfilm corrosion.
Solvent Cleaning: Removal of oil, grease, and other contaminants by solvent, emulsion, alkaline, or steam cleaning per SSPC-SP 1.
Spark Test: High-voltage holiday detection using a DC potential between a roller, brush, or spring electrode and the substrate to detect coating discontinuities.
SSPC: Society for Protective Coatings, now part of AMPP, originator of the SP series of surface preparation standards.
SSPC-PA 2: Standard for measurement of dry film thickness using magnetic gages.
SSPC-SP 1: Solvent cleaning to remove oil, grease, and dirt.
SSPC-SP 10: Near-white metal blast cleaning, equivalent to ISO 8501-1 Sa 2.5.
SSPC-SP 11: Power tool cleaning to bare metal.
SSPC-SP 12: Surface preparation and cleaning of metals by water jetting prior to recoating, defining cleanliness levels WJ-1 through WJ-4 and contaminant levels SC-1 through SC-3.
SSPC-SP 14: Industrial blast cleaning standard intermediate between SSPC-SP 6 and SSPC-SP 7 allowing tightly adherent matter on up to 10 percent of each unit area.
SSPC-SP 15: Commercial grade power tool cleaning standard producing a minimum surface profile of 25 micrometers.
SSPC-SP 16: Brush-off blast cleaning of coated and uncoated galvanized steel.
SSPC-SP 2: Hand tool cleaning standard for removal of loose mill scale, loose rust, and loose paint using wire brushes, sandpaper, scrapers, and chipping hammers.
SSPC-SP 3: Power tool cleaning standard for removal of loose mill scale, loose rust, and loose paint using powered tools.
SSPC-SP 5: White metal blast cleaning, equivalent to ISO 8501-1 Sa 3.
SSPC-SP 6: Commercial blast cleaning.
SSPC-SP 7: Brush-off blast cleaning.
St 2: ISO 8501-1 preparation grade for thorough hand and power tool cleaning where loose mill scale, loose rust, and loose coating are removed.
St 3: ISO 8501-1 preparation grade for very thorough hand and power tool cleaning prepared to a faint metallic sheen.
Steel Grit: Angular ferrous abrasive produced by crushing steel shot, classified by hardness GH, GL, GP and by size G10 through G80, used in shop and cabinet blasting.
Steel Shot: Spherical ferrous abrasive produced by atomization and heat treatment, used primarily for peening and rounded-profile cleaning.
Stoneage: US manufacturer of rotary water-jetting tools and accessories.
Stripe coat: Brush- or roller-applied coat on welds and edges added to ensure adequate film thickness at geometric discontinuities.
Stylus Instrument: Profile measurement device per ISO 8503-4 that traces a diamond stylus across the surface and records vertical displacement.
Surface profile: Roughness pattern produced by abrasive blasting and measured by profile gauge or replica tape.
Surface-Tolerant Epoxy: Epoxy coating formulated to provide acceptable performance over hand or power tool cleaned surfaces with residual tightly adherent rust.

T

Testex: US manufacturer of Press-O-Film replica tape for surface profile measurement.
Tie coat: Coating layer specifically formulated to promote adhesion between dissimilar generic types, such as between epoxy primer and silicone fouling-release.
Tinker & Rasor: US manufacturer of holiday detection equipment including the Model AP/W low-voltage and Model AP/S spark testers.
Tooke Gauge: Destructive cross-section instrument measuring dry film thickness by microscopic examination of a cut through the coating per ASTM D4138.
Topcoat: Final coat of an atmospheric exposure system, providing color, gloss, and weather resistance.
Two-Component Coating: Coating supplied as resin and curing agent in separate containers mixed in a specified ratio immediately before application.