ABSTRACT
Surface preparation is known as the first phase of treatment and an essential action before the implementation of coating on the metal surface. All the coatings have a specific lifetime design and will be failed eventually. However, improper surface preparation causes coating failure at an earlier stage named premature failure. Surface preparation is the most important factor in relation to the performance of any coating system in terms of coating durability, permeability and adhesion. This chapter discusses in detail initial surface conditions before surface preparation. Different types of surface contaminations such as oil, grease, rust, mill scale, soluble salts, dirt and dust are explained. The metal surface should be free from surface and welding defects as well as sharp edges before applying a coating system. Steelwork tasks such as grinding remove the defects from the metal surface. Different surface preparation techniques like water (jet) cleaning, sandblasting, solvent and chemical cleaning, acid pickling, mechanical cleaning, etc. are included in this chapter. Various standards that cover surface cleaning techniques are covered as well.
