Surface Preparation
25%of exam
Application and Inspection
20%of exam
Spray MethodsStripe CoatDefectsAdhesion TestingInspector Role
Coating Materials and Types
15%of exam
Coating ChemistryCure MechanismsZinc PrimersEpoxiesUrethanes
Film Thickness and Ambient
25%of exam
WFT/DFTSSPC-PA 2Dew PointRelative HumidityPsychrometer
Holiday Detection and Safety
15%of exam
Quick Facts
- Exam
- CIP Level 1
- Credential
- Basic Coatings Inspector
- Questions
- ~100 MC
- Time
- ~3 hours
- Pass
- Not published
- Org
- AMPP
- Admin
- Pearson VUE
- Validity
- 3 years
- Retake
- $165 CBT
- Course
- 5-6 days in-person
Blast Cleanliness Order
SP5 > SP10 > SP6 > SP7
SP5: White Metal 0%SP10: Near-White 5%SP6: Commercial 33%SP7: Brush-Off lightest
SP 5 vs SP 10
SP 5 White Metal
- 100% clean
- 0% staining
- Highest grade
SP 10 Near-White
- 95% clean
- 5% staining
- Cost-reduced alt
Perfect vs near-perfect
Surface Prep Standard Picker
- Oil grease present→SP 1 solvent(Always first)
- Loose rust mill scale→SP 2 hand tool(Manual)
- Power tool access only→SP 3 power tool(No profile)
- Critical immersion service→SP 5 White Metal(0% stain)
- General atmospheric service→SP 6 Commercial(33% stain)
- Maintenance touch-up→SP 7 Brush-Off(Lightest)
- Severe service near-white→SP 10 Near-White(5% stain)
- No blasting feasible→SP 11 bare metal(Profile 1 mil)
SSPC-SP Standards
- SP 1
- Solvent clean oil greasePre-cleaning
- SP 2
- Hand tool cleanManual
- SP 3
- Power tool cleanMechanical
- SP 5
- White Metal 0% stainCleanest
- SP 6
- Commercial 33% stainModerate
- SP 7
- Brush-Off lightest blastLightest
- SP 10
- Near-White 5% stainHigh
- SP 11
- Power tool bare metalProfile
- SP 15
- Commercial grade powerPower
- WJ-1
- Cleanest water jetWater
- WJ-4
- Lightest water jetWater
- Water jet
- No profile createdKey
D4417 Profile Methods
A=Visual | B=Depth | C=Replica
A: comparatorB: micrometerC: Testex tape
Surface Profile Methods
- D4417 A
- Visual comparatorMethod A
- D4417 B
- Depth micrometerMethod B
- D4417 C
- Replica tape TestexMethod C
- Mylar backing
- Subtract 2 milsCorrection
- Keane-Tator
- Machined segments comparatorComparator
- Peak count
- Peaks per inchDensity
- D7127
- Stylus profilometerPeak count
- ISO 8501-1
- Initial rust gradesPre-blast
- Grade A
- Mill scale intactRust
- Grade B
- Mill scale rustingRust
- Grade C
- General surface rustRust
- Grade D
- Heavy pitting visibleRust
Contaminants and Abrasives
- Bresle patch
- Soluble salt extractionISO 8502-6
- SSPC-AB 1
- Abrasive contaminant specAbrasive
- Silica sand
- Silicosis hazardBanned
- Water break
- Oil contamination checkField test
- D4285
- Blotter air quality testCompressed air
- ISO 8502-3
- Dust tape testDust
- Chloride limit
- ≤3-7 µg/cm² immersionLimit
- Coal slag
- Safer abrasive alternativeSubstitute
Airless Spray vs Brush
Airless spray
- Hydraulic pump
- Fast large areas
- No compressed air
Brush
- Manual edges welds
- Stripe coats
- Slow small areas
Production vs detail
Application Methods and Defects
- Airless spray
- Hydraulic pump sprayProduction
- Brush
- Manual edges weldsDetail
- Roller
- Flat surfaces onlyFlat
- Stripe coat
- Brush welds edges firstHold point
- Orange peel
- Poor leveling textureDefect
- Runs sags
- Too thick verticalDefect
- Pinholes
- Solvent escape voidsDefect
- Cratering
- Silicone fish-eyesContamination
- D4541
- Pull-off adhesion testDestructive
- D3359
- Cross-cut tape adhesionSemi-destructive
- Hold point
- Inspector verify stepAuthority
Inorganic vs Organic Zinc
Inorganic zinc
- Silicate binder
- Needs SP 5/10
- Best galvanic
Organic zinc
- Epoxy binder
- Tolerates SP 3/11
- Repair friendly
Silicate vs epoxy binder
Coating Type Picker
- Immersion service→Epoxy not alkyd(No alkyd immersion)
- UV weathering topcoat→Aliphatic polyurethane(UV stable)
- Galvanic primer needed→Zinc-rich primer(Sacrificial)
- Cold weather <50°F→Low-temp epoxy(Accelerated cure)
- Damp surface field→Moisture-cure urethane(Humidity cure)
- Fire rating required→Intumescent coating(Char layer)
Coating Types and Chemistry
- Alkyd
- Oxidative cure oil-basedNo immersion
- Epoxy
- Amine-cured two-componentIntermediate
- Polyurethane
- UV-stable aliphatic topcoatTopcoat
- MCU
- Moisture-cure urethane single-packDamp OK
- Inorganic zinc
- Silicate binder galvanicPrimer
- Organic zinc
- Epoxy binder galvanicPrimer
- Intumescent
- Fire-rated char coatingFire
- Volume solids
- DFT/WFT ratio percentFormula
- VOC
- Volatile organic contentRegulatory
- Pot life
- Usable mixed timeWorking
- Induction time
- Wait after mixingSweat-in
Epoxy vs Polyurethane
Epoxy
- Intermediate coat
- Chemical resistant
- Not UV stable
Polyurethane
- Topcoat finish
- UV stable
- Gloss retention
Barrier vs weathering
DFT Formula
WFT × Volume Solids = DFT
WFT: wet thicknessVS: volume solids %DFT: dry thickness
WFT vs DFT
WFT
- Measured before cure
- Comb gauge D4414
- Wet coating
DFT
- Measured after cure
- Magnetic gauge PA 2
- Cured coating
Before vs after cure
Film Thickness Measurement
- WFT
- Wet film thickness gaugeD4414
- DFT
- Dry film thickness curedSSPC-PA 2
- D4414
- WFT comb gauge methodWet
- SSPC-PA 2
- DFT measurement procedureDry
- D7091
- DFT gauge practice standardGauge
- Spot
- Average 3 gauge readingsMeasurement
- Area
- 5 spots per 100 ft²Measurement
- 80/120 rule
- Spot DFT tolerance rangeTolerance
- Type 1
- Magnetic pull-off gaugeMechanical
- Type 2
- Electronic gaugeElectronic
- BMR
- Zero calibration referenceCalibration
Dew Point Margin Rule
Surface ≥ 5°F above dew point
Surface: steel not air5°F: minimum marginDew point: condensation temp
Dew Point vs Surface Temp
Dew point
- Air saturation temp
- Calculated from RH
- Condensation trigger
Surface temp
- Steel surface reading
- Measured directly
- Must exceed dew point
Air metric vs steel metric
Ambient Conditions
- Dew point
- Condensation saturation tempKey
- 5°F rule
- Surface above dew pointMargin
- RH
- Relative humidity percentAir
- Sling psychrometer
- Whirling wet/dry bulbInstrument
- Wet bulb
- Evaporative cooled tempReading
- Dry bulb
- Ambient air temperatureReading
- Surface temp
- Steel not air tempCritical
- Magnetic thermometer
- Dial surface tempInstrument
- Electronic probe
- Thermistor contact tempInstrument
- 85% RH
- Typical max humidityLimit
- Stop work
- Surface at dew pointTrigger
- SSPC-TU 4
- Environmental control guideStandard
Low-Voltage vs High-Voltage Holiday
Low-voltage
- Wet sponge
- ≤20 mils DFT
- 9-90 V DC
High-voltage
- Spark test
- >20 mils DFT
- Calculated voltage
Thin vs thick coating
Holiday Test Voltage Picker
- DFT ≤20 mils→Low-voltage wet sponge(9-90 V DC)
- DFT >20 mils→High-voltage spark(Calculate voltage)
- Thin-film tank lining→Low-voltage sponge(D5162)
- Thick pipeline FBE→High-voltage spark(SP0188)
- Pinhole detection thin→Low-voltage sponge(Wet sponge)
- Ensure grounding→Connect to bare steel(Circuit required)
Holiday Detection
- Holiday
- Coating discontinuity voidDefect
- Low-voltage
- Wet sponge ≤20 milsThin film
- High-voltage
- Spark test >20 milsThick film
- D5162
- Holiday test standardASTM
- NACE SP0188
- Voltage calculation guideAMPP
- Grounding
- Required circuit pathSetup
- Pinhole
- Tiny film void pathwayDefect
- Repair
- Mark and retest verifyFix
- 9-90 V
- Low-voltage DC rangeRange
Safety Ethics and Standards
- OSHA 1910.1053
- Silica dust exposure limitSafety
- OSHA 1910.146
- Confined space permitSafety
- Code of Ethics
- Impartial honest conductConduct
- Daily report
- Inspection documentation logRecords
- Inspector authority
- Hold or stop workRole
- PPE
- Respirator gloves protectionSafety
Common Traps
WFT vs DFT
WFT measured wet ≠ DFT measured cured
SP 5 vs SP 10
SP 5: 0% staining ≠ SP 10: 5% staining
Dew point vs surface temp
Dew point: air metric ≠ Surface temp: steel metric
Low-voltage vs high-voltage
Low: ≤20 mils sponge ≠ High: >20 mils spark
Inorganic vs organic zinc
Inorganic: silicate binder ≠ Organic: epoxy binder
Pot life vs induction time
Pot life: usable time ≠ Induction: wait before apply
Water jet vs blast profile
WJ: no profile created ≠ Blast: creates anchor pattern
Last Minute
- 1.SP5 0%; SP10 5%; SP6 33%
- 2.SP7 = lightest blast grade
- 3.SP1 solvent clean before blast
- 4.Surface ≥ 5°F above dew point
- 5.RH max ~85% solvent-borne
- 6.Spot = 3 readings; area = 5 spots
- 7.80/120 rule: spot DFT tolerance
- 8.Testex tape: subtract 2 mil Mylar
- 9.Low-voltage ≤20 mils; high >20
- 10.WFT × volume solids = DFT
- 11.Epoxy needs >50°F to cure
- 12.Zinc-rich = galvanic protection
- 13.Water jet creates no profile
- 14.BMR zero calibration before DFT
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