5/20/2020 Comparing Surface Prep Standards - SSPC/NACE and ISO 8501

SURFACE PRE P STAN DAR D S

EXPL AINED - SSPC/ NACE &
ISO 8501

UNDERSTANDING THE ABRASIVE BLAST

CLEANING STANDARDS SSPC/NACE AND
ISO 8501
The two dominant abrasive blast cleaning standards, ISO 8501 and the SSPC/NACE joint standards, are tough to compare. Although they
recognize roughly the same levels of cleanliness, they classify them in opposite ways, muddying the water.

ISO 8501
ISO 8501 was published by the International Standards Organization
in 1988, after combining the content from the 1967 Swedish Standard
SIS 055900 with the German DIN 55928. ISO 8501 is a pictorial
standard showing the appearance of different rust grades at various
levels of cleanliness, although it also contains text descriptions of the
cleanliness levels. ISO 8501 ranks cleanliness levels in order
of increasing work required.
S S P C / N AC E
In North America, the original surface prep standard was written by
an architectural group in the 1960s for steel workers in Pittsburgh.
The Society for Steel Painting Structures formed around the
standards. The SSPC standards are text descriptions, not pictorial,
although they are accompanied by visual guides (VIS) with photo
references. SSPC/NACE numbers them in reverse order,
by increasing surface cleanliness.

Sa 1 Light Blast Cleaning SP 5 White Metal

Sa 2 Thorough Blast Cleaning SP 6 Commercial
Sa 3 Blast Cleaning to Visually Clean Steel SP 7 Brush Off

This was straightforward enough until the industry demanded a new speci cation for a cleanliness grade that could cut costs by replacing
White Metal in situations where near-white was good enough. ISO adapted it into their established order as Sa 2 1/2, Very Thorough Blast
Cleaning, but SSPC went outside the order, adding it chronologically as SP 10 Near White. The two versions were not equal: Sa 2.5 permitted
stains, streaks and shadows from rust, mill scale and coatings to remain on up to 15%* of the surface, whereas SP 10 allowed for only 5%.

In 2000, SSPC and NACE issued joint standards in anticipation of a merger between the organizations, whose memberships largely overlapped.
The merger fell through, but NACE’s new order, which mapped NACE No. 1, 2, 3, 4 onto SSPC SP 5, 6, 10, 7, persisted.

This cleared things up until 2006 when SSPC/NACE introduced Industrial Blast Cleaning, a new speci cation between Brush Off and
Commercial, and classi ed it chronologically as SSPC SP 14 / NACE No.8. ISO declined to shoe-horn the new speci cation into their system as
Sa 1.5.

Despite the differences, the grades of cleanliness are generally thought to be compatible. They re ect similar permissible levels of stains and
tightly-adhered rust, mill scale and coatings, and can be summed up with a chart:

*Estimated surface area. ISO 8501-1 is a visual reference and does not explicitly state percentages.

https://www.graco.com/us/en/contractor/solutions/articles/surface-prep-standards-explained-sspc-nace-iso-8501.html 1/6
5/20/2020 Comparing Surface Prep Standards - SSPC/NACE and ISO 8501

The speci cations speci cally mention stains, streaks and shadows, but they are practically the same: a residue showing a difference in color
but of no discernible thickness. Tightly adhered material refers to anything that cannot be peeled off with a dull putty knife.

WHY SURFACE PREP STANDARDS?

Surface preparations standards exist to maximize coating life and minimize costs.

With surface prep accounting for up to 40% of the cost of a repainting project, facility owners look to limit the material and hours spent blasting.
White Metal is expensive to achieve, especially on maintenance jobs, and typically reserved for critical applications where the cost of failure is
catastrophic. Near white is good enough for service in most severe environments. Commercial is less expensive and suitable for non-corrosive
atmospheres and service environments. Brush Off will save the owner the most money in the short run, if he can get away with it.

When choosing a coating, the owner weighs the costs of blasting and painting against the risk of a premature coating failure. If the worst-case
scenario is that he has to repaint in 5 years instead of 7, he might save money by cutting back from Commercial to Brush-Off. When premature
coating failure could result in the spilling of ve million gallons of corrosive, hazardous and expensive chemical, he’ll lean towards White Metal
and a high performance coating.

SURFACE PREP STANDARDS

S O LVE N T C L E A N I N G
SP 1 / ISO 8504
Loosely-adhering material: 100%
Tightly-adhering material: 100%
Stains, streaks, shadows: 100%

Abrasive blasting won’t remove oil and grease – it just smears them over the surface, causing
premature coatings failure. Visible deposits of oil, grease and dirt must be spot cleaned prior
to abrasive blast cleaning. SP 1 is a prerequisite to the other SSPC abrasive blasting
speci cations.

The standards specify numerous methods for solvent cleaning. The most common method –
and the least effective – is washing with soap, water and a rag. A dirty rag will also smear
grease and oil: care must be taken to wipe, fold, repeat, and replace often. For large surfaces,
pressure washing with soapy water is recommended, although soap residue will inhibit
coating adhesion and should be rinsed off.

Get the full speci cations: SSPC SP1 / ISO 8504-2

https://www.graco.com/us/en/contractor/solutions/articles/surface-prep-standards-explained-sspc-nace-iso-8501.html 2/6
5/20/2020 Comparing Surface Prep Standards - SSPC/NACE and ISO 8501

BRUSH OFF
SP 7 / NACE #4 / SA 1
aka Light Blast Cleaning, sweep blast

Loosely-adhering material: 0%
Tightly-adhering material: 100%
Stains, streaks, shadows: 100%

Brush Off is speci ed to remove loose rust, mill scale and coatings, and uniformly roughen up
a surface in preparation for a new coat. Tightly-adherent materials are permitted to remain.

Brush Off is speci ed where the expected life of the coating is short, such as ship hull
antifouling, or in mild atmospheres and non-corrosive service environments, such as the
exterior of a tank, in a rural location.

Get the full speci cations: SSPC SP7 / NACE No.4 / ISO 8501-1 Sa 1

I N D U S T R I A L B L AS T C L E A N I N G
SP 14 / NACE #8
Loosely-adhering material: 0%
Tightly-adhering material: 10%
Stains, streaks, shadows: 100%

Industrial Blast Cleaning speci es that 90% of the tightly-adhered matter must go. Shadows,
streaks and stains from rust, mill scale and old coatings are allowed on 100% of the surface.

Industrial is speci ed for conditions when the existing coating is thin, well-adherent and
compatible with new coating. It is the most recent abrasive blasting standard, and not widely
speci ed. ISO has no corresponding speci cation.

Get the full speci cations: SSPC SP14 / NACE No.8

C O M M E R C I A L B L AS T C L E A N I N G
SP 6 / NACE #3 / SA 2
aka Thorough Blast Cleaning

Loosely-adhering material: 0%
Tightly-adhering material: 0%
Stains, streaks, shadows: 33%

Commercial Blast Cleaning speci es that all tightly-adhering matter must go. Shadows,
streaks and stains can remain on up to 33% of the surface.

Commercial is speci ed when a high, but not perfect, degree of cleanliness is warranted. It’s
common for repainting products that serve in non-corrosive environments and atmospheres,
such as tanks and bridges.

Get the full speci cations: SSPC SP6 / NACE No.3 / ISO 8501-1 Sa 2

N E A R W H I T E B L AS T C L E A N I N G
SP 10 / NACE #2 / SA 2.5
aka Very Thorough Blast Cleaning

https://www.graco.com/us/en/contractor/solutions/articles/surface-prep-standards-explained-sspc-nace-iso-8501.html 3/6
5/20/2020 Comparing Surface Prep Standards - SSPC/NACE and ISO 8501

Loosely-adhering material: 0%
Tightly-adhering material: 0%
Stains, streaks, shadows: SP 10 5%, Sa 2 ½ 15%

Near White Blast Cleaning speci es that shadows, streaks and stains must be limited to 5% of
the surface area. Near White is speci ed when the added bene t of blasting to White Metal
doesn’t justify the added expense.

Near White is typically speci ed for high performance coatings over steel exposed to severe
environmental conditions, such as chemical spills and fumes, high humidity, and proximity to
salt water. It is commonly speci ed for off-shore platforms, shipyards and other marine
environments.

Get the full speci cations: SSPC SP10 / NACE No.2 / ISO 8501-1 Sa 2.5

W H I T E M E TA L B L AS T C L E A N I N G
SP 5 / NACE #1 / SA 3
aka Blast Clean to Visibly Clean Steel

Loosely-adhering material: 0%
Tightly-adhering material: 0%
Stains, streaks, shadows: 0%

White Metal is the highest grade of abrasive blast cleaning. No shadows, streaks or stains are
permitted. When viewed without magni cation, the surface shall be free of all visible oil,
grease, dust, dirt, mill scale, rust, coating, oxides, corrosion products and other foreign matter.

White metal is speci ed for steel serving under high temperatures, high pressures, and
corrosive environments, and in cases where the catastrophic consequences of coating failure
justify the extra expense, such as nuclear reactors, turbines, chemical tank linings,
submarines, etc.

Get the full speci cations: SSPC SP5 / NACE No.1 / ISO 8501-1 Sa 3

U S I N G T H E S TA N DA R D S
ISO 8501 is a pictorial standard containing reference photographs that illustrate what each
blast speci cation looks like on a variety of rust grades and initial conditions. It comes in a
hardcover A5 format that can be directly compared to the surface. SSPC/NACE also sell visual
guides for direct comparison with surfaces, but the written descriptions are the standard.
Judging percentages of stains is an imprecise art that often causes rulers to come out.
Preparing a job standard is a best practice for avoiding disputes:

Stake out a sample area

Prepare the surface to speci cation
Get agreement from the stakeholders that the prepared sample meets the speci cation
Apply a clear coating to preserve the appearance

Surface preparation standards provide a basis for a service level agreement between blasters,
contractors, inspectors and project owners. Knowing the standards are important for any
abrasive blaster, and is a necessity for certi ed blasters.

The speci cations contain detailed methods and practices for preparing surfaces. They are
frequently updated, so refer to them by name, date, edition number, and supplement when
discussing project standards.

https://www.graco.com/us/en/contractor/solutions/articles/surface-prep-standards-explained-sspc-nace-iso-8501.html 4/6
5/20/2020 Comparing Surface Prep Standards - SSPC/NACE and ISO 8501

C O N TAC T A N E X P E R T
FIRST NAME* LAST NAME* COUNTRY*

-- Your Country --

EMAIL* PHONE C O M PA N Y N A M E *

(201) 555-0123

Yes, I’m interested in receiving email updates on customer stories, tips and tricks, new products and other Graco news.

Your privacy is very important to Graco. We will not sell your information to other companies. However, to best serve your needs,
your information may be shared with Graco's distributor partners. For details, view our Privacy Policy.

SEND

R E L AT E D P R O D U C T S

EcoQuip 2 - Mobile EcoQuip 2 - Skid EcoQuip 2 - Trailer

V I E W D E TA I L S V I E W D E TA I L S V I E W D E TA I L S

R E L AT E D A R T I C L E S

HOW TO TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS

https://www.graco.com/us/en/contractor/solutions/articles/surface-prep-standards-explained-sspc-nace-iso-8501.html 5/6
5/20/2020 Comparing Surface Prep Standards - SSPC/NACE and ISO 8501
HOW TO TECHNOLOGY BUSINESS

How to Choose the Right Blast True Dustless Blasting is a How to Bid on a Bl
Nozzle for Wet Abrasive Myth Project – and P
Blasting Know the facts: there is no such thing A guide to calculating a b
What you need to know to choose the as dustless or dust-free blasting in designed to meet your ta
right nozzle for your abrasive blasting surface prep margin
application

HAVE QUESTIONS? LET'S TALK.

C O N TAC T A N E XP E R T T EC H S U P P O R T EMAIL SUPPORT

We'll help you choose the right product Monday-Friday

GET IN TOUCH
for your job. 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Central Time

C O N TA C T U S 866-361-5959

Contractor Articles & Advice Surface Prep Standards Explained - SSPC/NACE & ISO 8501

TOP

SOLUTIONS FOR CONTRACTORS HOW TO BUY OWNER SUPPORT

Exterior Finishing Find a Distributor Education Center

Interior Finishing Contact Us Find Manuals & Parts

Insulation Request a Demonstration Find a Service Center

View All Contact Technical Support

PRODUCTS & SOLUTIONS

Homeowner

Vehicle Service & Heavy Equipment

Industrial, Manufacturing & Processing

For Distributors

VIEW ALL SOCIAL NORTH AMERICA/ENGLISH

© Graco Inc. All rights reserved.

Privacy Policy Terms of Service Trademarks Patents CA Supply Chains Act

https://www.graco.com/us/en/contractor/solutions/articles/surface-prep-standards-explained-sspc-nace-iso-8501.html 6/6