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Treatment of Steel Surfaces by Abrasive

Blasting and Water Jetting

Procedure

This Standard replaces and cancels its previous revision.

The CONTEC - Authoring Subcommittee provides guidance on the
interpretation of this Standard when questions arise regarding its contents. The
Department of PETROBRAS that uses this Standard is responsible for adopting
and applying the sections, subsections and enumerates thereof.

Technical Requirement: A provision established as the most adequate and

which shall be used strictly in accordance with this Standard. If a decision is
CONTEC taken not to follow the requirement (“non-conformity” to this Standard) it shall be
Comissão de Normalização based on well-founded economic and management reasons, and be approved
Técnica and registered by the Department of PETROBRAS that uses this Standard. It is
characterized by imperative nature.
Recommended Practice: A provision that may be adopted under the conditions
of this Standard, but which admits (and draws attention to) the possibility of
there being a more adequate alternative (not written in this Standard) to the
particular application. The alternative adopted shall be approved and registered
by the Department of PETROBRAS that uses this Standard. It is characterized
by verbs of a nonmandatory nature. It is indicated by the expression:
[Recommended Practice].
Copies of the registered “non-conformities” to this Standard that may contribute
to the improvement thereof shall be submitted to the CONTEC - Authoring
SC - 14 Subcommittee.

Painting and Anticorrosive
Coatings
Proposed revisions to this Standard shall be submitted to the CONTEC -
Authoring Subcommittee, indicating the alphanumeric identification and revision
of the Standard, the section, subsection and enumerate to be revised, the
proposed text, and technical/economic justification for revision. The proposals
are evaluated during the work for alteration of this Standard.

“This Standard is exclusive property of Petróleo Brasileiro S. A. -

PETROBRAS, internal application and PETROBRAS Subsidiaries and
shall be used by its suppliers of goods and services under contracts or
similar under the conditions established in Bidding, Contract, Agreement
or similar.
The use of this Standard by other companies / organizations / government
agencies and individuals is the sole responsibility of the users..”

Introduction
PETROBRAS Technical Standards are prepared by Working Groups - WG
(consisting specialized of Technical Collaborators from Company and its Subsidiaries), are
commented by Company Units and its Subsidiaries, are approved by the Authoring Subcommittees -
SCs (consisting of technicians from the same specialty, representing the various Company Units and
its Subsidiaries), and ratified by the Executive Nucleus (consisting of representatives of the Company
Units and its Subsidiaries). A PETROBRAS Technical Standard is subject to revision at any time by its
Authoring Subcommittee and shall be reviewed every 5 years to be revalidated, revised or cancelled.
PETROBRAS Technical Standards are prepared in accordance with PETROBRAS Technical
Standard N-1. For complete information about PETROBRAS Technical Standards see PETROBRAS
Technical Standards Catalog.

PROPERTY OF PETROBRAS 10 pages, Index of Revisions and WG

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Foreword

This Standard is the English version (issued in 05/2014) of PETROBRAS N-9 REV. G 09/2013. In case of
doubt, the Portuguese version, which is the valid document for all intents and purposes, shall be used.

1 Scope

1.1 The objective of this Standard is to set out the procedure for preparation of steel surfaces for
application of paint systems or other anticorrosive coatings, by means of abrasive blasting or water
jetting (with or without abrasives).

NOTE 1 Check the legal provisions described in 4.1.

NOTE 2 For the purposes of this Standard, the term water jetting refers to water jetting with or
without abrasives.

1.2 The provisions of this Standard apply to procedures started as of its date of issuance.

1.3 This Standard contains Technical Requirements and Recommended Practices.

2 Normative References

The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated
references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced
document applies.

Portaria do Ministério do Trabalho no 99 de 19/10/2004 - Proíbe o processo de trabalho de

jateamento que utilize areia seca ou úmida como abrasivo;

Norma Regulamentadora no 15 (NR-15) - Atividades e Operações Insalubres;

ABNT NBR 15158 - Limpeza de Superfícies de Aço por Compostos Químicos;

ABNT NBR 15185 - Inspeção de Superfícies para Pintura Industrial;

ABNT NBR 15239 - Tratamento de Superfícies de Aço com Ferramentas Manuais e Mecânicas;

ABNT NBR 15488 - Pintura Industrial - Superfície Metálica para Aplicação de Tinta -
Determinação do Perfil de Rugosidade;

ISO 8501-1 - Preparation of Steel Substrates before Application of Paints and Related Products
- Visual Assessment of Surface Cleanliness - Part 1: Rust Grades and Preparation Grades of
Uncoated Steel Substrates and of Steel Substrates after Overall Removal of Previous Coatings;

ISO 8501-3 - Preparation of Steel Substrates before Application of Paints and Related
Products - Visual Assessment of Surface Cleanliness - Part 3: Preparation Grades of Welds,
Edges and other Areas with Surface Imperfections;

ISO 8502-3 - Preparation of Steel Substrates before Application of Paints and Related
Products - Tests for the Assessment of Surface Cleanliness - Part 3: Assessment of Dust on
Steel Surfaces Prepared for Painting (pressure-Sensitive Tape Method);

ISO 8502-6 - Preparation of Steel Substrates before Application of Paints and Related
Products - Tests for the Assessment of Surface Cleanliness - Part 6: Extraction of Soluble
Contaminants for Analysis - The Bresle Method;

ISO 8502-9 - Preparation of Steel Substrates before Application of Paints and Related
Products - Tests for the Assessment of Surface Cleanliness - Part 9: Field Method for the
Conductometric Determination of Water-Soluble Salts;

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ISO 8504-2 - Preparation of Steel Substrates before Application of Paints and Related
Products - Surface Preparation Methods - Part 2: Abrasive Blast-Cleaning;
ASTM D 610 - Standard Test Method for Evaluating Degree of Rusting on Painted Steel
Surfaces;

ASTM D 4940 - Standard Test Method for Conductimetric Analysis of Water Soluble Ionic
Contamination of Blasting Abrasives;

NACE WJ-1/SSPC-SP WJ 1 - Joint Surface Preparation Standard Waterjet Cleaning of

Metals-Clean to Bare Substrate (WJ-1);

NACE WJ-2/SSPC-SP WJ 2 - Joint Surface Preparation Standard Waterjet Cleaning of

Metals-Very Thorough Cleaning (WJ-2);

NACE WJ-3/SSPC-SP WJ 3 - Joint Surface Preparation Standard Waterjet Cleaning of

Metals-Thorough Cleaning (WJ-3);

NACE WJ-4/SSPC-SP WJ 4 - Joint Surface Preparation Standard Waterjet Cleaning of

Metals-Light Cleaning (WJ-4);

SSPC VIS 4/NACE VIS 7 - Guide and Reference Photographs for Steel Surfaces Prepared
by Waterjetting;

SAE J-444 - Cast Shot and Grit Size Specifications for Peening and Cleaning.

NOTE For documents referred in this Standard and for which only the Portuguese version is
available, the PETROBRAS department that uses this Standard should be consulted for any
information required for the specific application.

3 Terms and Definitions

For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions are applicable.

3.1
abrasive blasting
method for preparing steel surfaces for paint or other coating application by using steel grit, sintered
aluminum oxide or other abrasives impelled by means of compressed air or by centrifugal force

3.2
water jetting without abrasive
method for preparing steel surfaces for painting by using water under high pressure [70 MPa to
210 MPa (10 000 psi to 30 000 psi)] or ultra-high pressure [above 210 MPa (30 000 psi)]

NOTE This process does not create an anchor profile.

3.3
water jetting with abrasive
method for preparing steel surfaces for painting by using water ultra-high pressure [above 210 MPa
(30 000 psi)] and special abrasives, in order to create an anchor profile or remove adhering mill scale
grade A and B

3.4
rust and preparation grades of steel surfaces
the rust grade of a steel surface refers to the conditions of the surface before execution of the cleaning
process; the surface preparation grade, on the other hand, corresponds to the final cleaning standard
of the surface before painting or other coating is applied.

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3.4.1
rust grades of unpainted steel surfaces
according to ISO 8501-1

Grade A - steel surface largely covered with intact and adhering mill scale with
little or any rust;
Grade B - steel surface on which atmospheric corrosion has begun and from
which mill scale has begun to flake;
Grade C - steel surface on which the mill scale has been removed by atmospheric
corrosion or from which it can be scraped out, but with slight pitting
visible;
Grade D - steel surface on which the mill scale has been removed by atmospheric
corrosion and on which general pitting is visible.

3.4.2
rust grades of painted surfaces
according to standard ASTM D 610

Grade 8 - existing painting almost intact, with less than 0.1% of the surface with
corrosion;
Grade 6 - calcined finish paint, which may present exposed primer; slight spotting
or blistering is permitted after the spots are treated. Less than 1 % of the
area may be affected by corrosion, flaking or loose paint;
Grade 4 - paint completely calcined, blistered or with rust spots, which may have
up to 10 % of its surface with corrosion, oxidation blisters, loose paint and
slight pitting (punctiform corrosion);
Grade 2 - paint completely calcined, blistered or with rust spots, which may have
up to 33 % of its surface with corrosion, oxidation blisters, loose paint and
slight pitting (punctiform corrosion);
Grade 0 - heavy presence of corrosion, loose paint and severe formation of pitting
corrosion.

3.4.3
rust grades of steel surfaces by means of abrasive blasting
according to ISO 8501-1 and ISO 8504-2
Grade Sa 1 - light blast cleaning: when seen with the naked eye, surface shall be
free of loose mill scale, rust and non-adhesive foreign matter. The final
appearance shall correspond to the photographs designated Sa 1. This
cleaning process does not apply to surfaces presenting original Rust
Grade A. For other ones, the cleaning standards are: BSa 1, CSa 1 and
DSa 1;
Grade Sa 2 - commercial blast cleaning: when seen with the naked eye, surface shall
be free of almost all mill scale, rust and foreign matter. The surface shall
be display a grayish color and correspond in appearance to the
photographs designated Sa 2. This cleaning process does not apply to
surfaces presenting original Rust Grade A. For other ones, the cleaning
standards are: BSa 2, CSa 2 and DSa 2;
Grade Sa 2 1/2 - near-white metal blast cleaning: when seen with the naked eye, surface
shall be free of mill scale, rust and foreign matter, to the extent that the
only traces remaining are in the form of slight stains or stretch marks. The
surface shall be display an aspect corresponding to the photographs
designated Sa 2 1/2. The cleaning standards are: ASa 2 1/2, BSa 2 1/2,
CSa 2 1/2 and DSa 2 1/2;
Grade Sa 3 - blast cleaning to white metal: when seen with the naked eye, surface
shall be completely free of loose mill scale, rust and non-adhesive foreign
matter. The surface shall be display a uniform metal coloring,
corresponding in appearance to the photographs designated Sa 3. The
cleaning standards are: ASa 3, BSa 3, CSa 3 and DSa 3.

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NOTE After treatment, the surface shall be immediately cleaned with a vacuum cleaner, clean and
dry compressed air or a clean brush.

3.4.4
preparation grades of steel surfaces by water jetting
according to NACE WJ-1/SSPC-SP WJ 1, NACE WJ-2/SSPC-SP WJ 2, NACE WJ-3/SSPC-SP WJ 3,
and NACE WJ-4/SSPC-SP WJ 4

WJ-1 - the surface shall be free of all previously existing visible rust, paint, mill
scale, and foreign matter, and present a uniform matte metal finish (see
Notes 1 and 2);
WJ-2 - the surface shall be cleaned to a matte finish, with at least 95 % of the
area free of all previously existing visible residues, and the remaining 5%
containing only random stains of rust, paint and foreign matter (see Notes
1 and 2);
WJ-3 - the surface shall be cleaned to a matte finish, with at least 2/3 of the
area free of all previously existing residues (except mill scale), and the
remaining 1/3 containing only random stains of rust, paint or previously
existing foreign matter (see Notes 1 and 2);
WJ-4 - the surface shall be uniformly free of rust, paints and loose mill scale.

NOTE 1 High-pressure water jetting and ultra-high pressure water jetting do not present the same
coloring as abrasive blasting. The matte metal coloring of the cleaned steel immediately after
water jetting becomes yellowish. In old steel surfaces having areas with or without coatings,
the color of the matte finish varies even if all visible surface material has been removed.
NOTE 2 Ultra-high pressure water jetting is capable of removing oils and greases from the surface.
However, this does not avoid the need for the previous degreasing stage.

3.4.4.1
no flash rust
the steel surface, when seen with the naked eye, does not display visible surface oxidation

3.4.4.2
flash rust
instantaneous surface oxidation that occurs after water jetting, which may be light (L), moderate (M) or
heavy (H), according to the photographic standards of SSPC VIS 4/NACE VIS 7

3.4.4.2.1
light flash rust (L)
the steel surface, when seen with the naked eye, displays a very thin slightly orange rust layer, and is
easily observed on the steel substrate; oxidation may be evenly distributed or present in the form of
localized spots, and is easily adhered and hard to be removed by cleaning using rags

3.4.4.2.2
moderate flash rust (M)
the steel surface, when seen with the naked eye, displays a thin orange rust layer which hides the
original surface of the steel; the oxidation layer may be evenly distributed or present in the form of
localized spots, but it is reasonably well adhered, causing light marks on a rag when it is lightly rubbed
over the surface

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3.4.4.2.3
heavy flash rust (H)
the steel surface, when seen with the naked eye, displays a heavy orange/brown rust layer that
completely hides the initial conditions of the surface; the rust layer may be evenly distributed or
present itself in the form of spots, but the rust is slightly adhered and easily removed, leaving
significant marks on a rag when it is lightly rubbed over the surface

4 General Conditions

4.1 According to Ordinances No. 99 from the Brazilian Ministry of Labor and Employment and NR-15,
work processes that use dry or wet sand are forbidden in the whole Brazilian territory. In contracts for
projects carried out outside Brazil, the legislation in force in the country in which the project is being
undertaken shall be obeyed.

4.2 In the case of water jetting, the use of corrosion inhibitor shall be avoided.

4.3 Abrasive blasting and water jetting procedures shall contain at least the following information:

a) preparation grade of steel surface;

b) indication of chemicals and materials used in the cleaning process according to standard
ABNT NBR 15158;
c) type of equipment to be used for surface preparation, indicating the separating filters and
nozzles;
d) type and grain-size analysis of the abrasive material based on the roughness profiles to
be obtained;
e) quality of water to be used (pH, salinity, contaminants, among others);
f) when corrosion inhibitors are used, it shall be informed the type and mechanism of
anticorrosive protection, concentration, and methods to be used in its future removal;
g) methods to evaluate the salinity of abrasive according to ASTM D 4940;
h) acceptance criteria regarding the salinity levels of the abrasive, according to Table 1;
i) final cleaning procedures after surface preparation, before the paint systems are applied;
j) determination of salt content on the surface cleaned by blasting or water jetting before
start painting, as established in ISO 8502-6 and ISO 8502-9;

NOTE Other methods to determine the salt content may be used, as long as they are previously
agreed by the parties.

k) description of the safety equipment to be used in the processes, as well as the personal
protection equipment (PPE) used by blasting and water jetting operators, and collective
protection equipment (CPE) for ultra-high pressure water jetting services.

4.4 The stages to be followed for surface preparation are described in items 4.4.1 to 4.4.5:

4.4.1 Remove oil or grease, complying with the methods established in ABNT NBR 15158.

4.4.2 Remove soil, cement spatters, salts, lime and any other contaminant (except grease and oil) by
means of fiber or wire brushes, by scraping, water jetting or by applying alkaline cleaning solutions
with subsequent rinse with fresh water, or by the combination of those methods.

NOTE When there is found corrosion on plates, it is convenient to remove it by using manual or
mechanical tools according to ABNT NBR 15239. The purpose of this previous removal is to
facilitate the action of the solvent in contaminants such as salts, oils, and greases hidden by
the plates. [Recommended Practice]

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4.4.3 In case of surface imperfections, the P3 finishing standards from ISO 8501-3 shall be adopted.

4.4.4 Removal of mill scale, rust, existing paint, and other contaminants, according to the preparation
grade specified in the paint system (see 3.4.3 and 3.4.4) by one of the following processes:

a) abrasive blasting with grit (angular or spherical particles) made of steel:

— steel grit shall display a proper grain size so as to provide the surface with the
roughness profile specified in this Standard (see Annex A);
b) abrasive blasting with sintered aluminum oxide or other suitable abrasives for surface
preparation, with a grain size providing the surface with the roughness profile specified in
this Standard (see Annex A);
c) high or ultra-high pressure water jetting (only in case the surface has already been
subjected to some type of abrasive blasting);
d) ultra-high pressure water jetting with abrasives:
— abrasives shall display a proper grain size so as to provide the surface with the
roughness profile specified.

4.4.4.1 After abrasive blasting, the surface shall be cleaned by means of a brush, and/or vacuum
cleaner, so as to remove grains of abrasives and dust.

4.4.4.2 In the case of water jetting, the surface shall be carefully cleaned with fresh water, so as to
remove, before painting starts, the abrasive, soluble salts, corrosion inhibitor (where applicable), and
other materials existing on the surface.

4.4.4.3 In the case of water jetting, the paint to be applied directly on the surface shall be tolerant to
the substrate conditions after water jetting, besides being duly certified by the responsible
PETROBRAS department. In these cases, the surface may be dry, with residual moisture or wet, and
may present surface oxidation [light flash rust (L)] in all cases.

4.4.5 Before applying the first layer of paint, the surface to be painted shall be checked for the
presence of traces of oil, grease, dirt, and salts, which shall be removed according to the requirements
of ABNT NBR 15158.

4.5 The compressed air used for application of the abrasive jet shall be free of water and oil. The
equipment shall be provided with suitable filters and separators, or air heating or cooling shall be
provided for the removal of water and oil.

4.6 Surface preparation services by means of abrasive blasting or water jetting shall be performed in
such a manner as to not cause damages to the work stages already completed. The restart of the
services of surface preparation shall only be resumed when the paint applied to the adjacent areas is
at the minimum drying stage stickiness free.

4.7 Abrasive blasting services shall not be performed when there is forecasting of rain, fog or mist or
when the surfaces are not at least a temperature 3 °C above the dew point temperature, or when the
relative humidity is higher than 85 %. Except for paints tolerant to wet surfaces.

4.8 During abrasive blasting, primer shall be applied as quickly as possible and while the blasted
surface complies with the specified standard. As time goes by, the surface tends to oxidize and a new
blasting operation may be necessary, depending on the specified standard, to the surface preparation.

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4.9 During water jetting operations, primer shall be applied considering the oxidation conditions of the
surface before painting. The time interval between the process of washing the surface with fresh water
and primer application shall be as short as possible, intending to reduce, particularly in aggressive
environments (marine and industrial marine types), the concentration of chlorides and other
undesirable substances on the surface as well as the intensity of flash rust. If light to moderate flash
rust formation occurs, the paint manufacturer’s recommendations shall be followed. If heavy flash rust
formation occurs, the surface shall be manually treated with a wire brush and washing with high
pressure fresh water, at a minimum of 34 MPa (5 000 psi), before primer application.

NOTE For conditions of internal painting of equipment, only light flash rust grade is acceptable.

5 Inspection and Acceptance Criteria

Inspections shall be performed according to Tables 1 and 2, following the established acceptance
criteria.

Table 1 - Before Abrasive Blasting or Water Jetting

Inspection to be
Method When Acceptance criteria
performed
Surface free of oil, grease, fat,
ABNT Before abrasive blasting or paint, salts, or other
Surface cleaning
NBR 15185 water jetting contaminants in the entire area
to be treated
Rust grade of unpainted Before abrasive blasting or
ISO 8501-1 According to ISO 8501-1
surface water jetting
Rust grade of painted Before abrasive blasting or
ASTM D 610 According to ASTM D 610
surface water jetting
New grit shall meet the
specification in Table A.1. In
Grain-size analysis of Before abrasive blasting or
Table A.1 case of reuse, it shall present
abrasive water jetting with abrasive
at least 80 % (in weight) of
retention on a number 40 sieve
Free of visible signs of
Impurities in abrasive - Before abrasive blasting
impurities
Chloride content in
ASTM D 4940 Before abrasive blasting Below 40 ppm
abrasive
Oxidation in abrasive - Before abrasive blasting Free
clean, fresh, free of
contaminants, with pH ranging
Water quality - Before water jetting from 6.5 to 7.5, and maximum
chlorine concentration below
40 ppm
- Relative Air Humidity: Below
Environmental
85 %;
conditions and
- Before abrasive blasting - Surface temperature: at least
determination of dew
3 °C above dew point
point
temperature.

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Table 2 - After Abrasive Blasting or Water Jetting

Inspection to be
Method When Acceptance criteria
performed
Surface free of oil,
After abrasive grease, fat, paint, salts,
Surface cleaning ABNT NBR 15185 blasting or water or other contaminants in
jetting the entire area to be
treated
Evaluation of surface After water Without flash rust, or
SSPC VIS 4/NACE-VIS 7
oxidation level jetting light grade at most
ISO 8501-1
NACE WJ-1/SSPC-SP WJ 1
After abrasive According to standards
Surface preparation NACE WJ-2/SSPC-SP WJ 2
blasting and established in items
grade NACE WJ-3/SSPC-SP WJ 3
water jetting 3.4.3 and 3.4.4
NACE WJ-4/SSPC-SP WJ 4
SSPC VIS 4/NACE VIS 7
After abrasive
blasting and
ABNT NBR 15488 50 µm to 100 µm.
Roughness profile water jetting with
(see Note 1) (See Note 3)
abrasive
(see Note 2)
After abrasive Maximum of standard of
Powder contamination ISO 8502-3
blasting Figure 2 of ISO 8502-3
Maximum of 7 µg/cm2 in
Right before atmospheric regions and
Chloride content on ISO 8502-6
application of maximum of 3 µg/cm2 in
surface ISO 8502-9
primer immersed, buried or
submerged areas

NOTE 1 The roughness profile shall be measured on the first m2 of the blasted area or on the first linear
meter (m), in the case of piping; proceed with the measurements for every 30 m2 or linear 30 m,
respectively.
NOTE 2 As an alternative to abrasive blasting, water jetting under ultra-high pressure with special
abrasives may be used to create an anchor profile or remove adhering mill scale grade A and B.
NOTE 3 If the roughness profile is not specified in painting procedure standard of equipment or piping, use
the specification on this table.

6 Safety / Collection, Storage and Disposal of Wastes

The recommendations of local Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) departments shall be observed.

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Annex A - Table

Table A-1 - Profile Heights Obtained According to Abrasive

Maximum profile height

Type of abrasive
µm
Copper slag:

Coarse #12/40 100

Medium #18/40 75
Fine #40 50
Angular steel grit:

G-14 150
G-25 100
G-40 75
G-50 50
Spherical steel grit:

S-390 110
S-330 85
S-280 75
S-230 65
Angular sintered aluminum oxide:

# 8/16 130
# 12/20 100
# 20/40 80
Spherical sintered aluminum oxide:

# 8/16 100
# 12/20 85
# 20/40 65
Abrasive with sponge:

With G-40 75
With aluminum oxide 16 100
With aluminum oxide 30 50
NOTE According to SAE J-444.

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INDEX OF REVISIONS

REV. A, B, C and D
There is no index of revisions.

REV. E
Affected Parts Description of Alteration

All Revised

REV. F
Affected Parts Description of Alteration

All Revised

REV. G
Affected Parts Description of Alteration

All Revised

IR 1/1