INSPECTION OF COATING APPLICATION

Inspection during and after coating application consists chiefly of checking for:

Induction time and pot life

Wet and dry film thicknesses

Holidays

Adhesion

Curing

Cosmetic and film defects

INDUCTION TIME AND POT LIFE
For coatings that cure by chemical reaction (thermosetting), the inspector should check to see
that the manufacturers induction time and pot life requirements are met.
WET FILM THICKNESS
Wet film thickness (WFT) measurements should be made immediately after paint application to
determine if the coating is sufficiently thick to obtain the desired dry film thickness (DFT).
Measurement is less accurate on highly pigmented (e.g., zinc-rich) and quick-dry coatings. Since
measurement of WFT destroys the film integrity, the coating must be repaired after the
measurements have been completed. The most widely used type of WFT gauge, described in
ASTM D 4414, consists of a thin rigid metal notched gauge, usually with four working faces.
Each of the notches in each face is cut progressively deeper in graduated steps. The face with the
scale that encompasses the specified thickness is selected for use.
To conduct the measurement, the face is pressed firmly and squarely into the wet paint
immediately after its application. The face is then carefully removed and examined visually. The
WFT is the highest scale reading of the notches with paint adhering to it. Measurements should
be made in triplicate. Faces of gauges should be kept clean by removing the wet paint
immediately after each measurement.
DRY FILM THICKNESS
DFT measurements are made after complete curing of coatings to determine if specified
thicknesses have been met. Calibration of gauges and measurement of DFT by magnetic gauge
are described in detail in SSPC-PA2. Magnetic gauges are normally used for determining coating
DFT on steel surfaces. They rely on the fact that the thicker the coating, the smaller the magnetic
field above the coating. Typical measurement error may be 310 percent.
There are several factors that adversely affect DFT measurements with magnetic gauges. These
include:
Roughness of steel surface (deeper blasted surfaces result in higher measurements)
Steel composition (high alloy steels may have erroneous measurements)
Thickness of steel (there is a minimum thickness for gauge accuracy)
Curvature of steel surface (measurements may be erroneous)
Surface condition (contaminated coating surfaces may cause high readings; pull-off
magnets may adhere to tacky surfaces; probes may indent soft paints)
Orientation of gauge (must be held perpendicular to surface)
Other magnetic fields (strong magnetic fields from direct current welding or railway
systems may interfere)

All magnetic thickness gauges should be calibrated before use. It is also good practice to check
the calibration during and after use. Gauge suppliers provide a set of standard-thickness,
nonmagnetic (plastic or nonferrous metal) shims to cover their working ranges. The shim for
instrument calibration should be selected to match the desired coating thickness. It is placed on a
bare steel surface with the same profile that will be used for the coating application, and the
gauge probe is placed on it for calibration. If the instrument does not agree with the shim
measure, it should be properly adjusted. If adjustment is difficult, the reading for bare steel can
be added or subtracted from field readings to determine actual thicknesses. The steel surface used
for calibration should be a masked-off area of the steel being painted or an unpainted reference
panel of similar steel, if possible.
Another calibration system utilizes a set of small, chrome-plated steel panels of precise
thickness, available from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (formerly the
National Bureau of Standards). These standards are expensive but very accurate. SSPC-PA 2
presents detailed information on the calibration and use of both pull-off and fixed probe gauges.

HOLIDAY DETECTION
Newly coated structures on which the coating integrity is important (particularly linings or
coatings in immersion conditions) should be tested with a holiday detector to ensure coating film
continuity. A holiday (sometimes called discontinuity) is a pinhole or other break in the film that
permits the passage of moisture to the substrate. This allows substrate deterioration to begin.
Holidays are not easily detected visually, and must be located with electrical instruments called
holiday detectors. Holiday detectors are available in two types, low and high voltage, as
described in ASTM D 5162.
Low-voltage (30 to 70 volts) holiday detectors are used on coatings up to 20 mils (500 m) in
thickness. These portable devices have a power source (a battery), an exploring electrode (a
dampened cellulose sponge), an alarm, and a lead wire with connections to join the instrument to
bare metal on the coated structure. A wetting agent that evaporates on drying should be used to
wet the sponge for coatings greater than 10 mils (250 m) in thickness. The wetted sponge is
slowly moved across the coated surface so that the response time is not exceeded. When a
holiday is touched, an electric circuit is completed through the coated metal and connected wire
back to the instrument to sound the alarm. Holidays should be marked after detection for repair
and subsequent retesting.
High-voltage (above 800 volts) holiday detectors are used on coatings greater than 20 mils (500
m) in thickness. The exploring electrode may consist of a conductive brush or coil spring. The
detector may be a pulse or direct current type. It should be moved at a rate not to exceed the
pulse rate. If a holiday or thin spot in the coating is detected, a spark will jump from the
electrode through the air space to the metal.