Paint
Paint
Paint
CAUSES AND PREVENTION OF 3. Adhesion-related failures are most numerous and can
PAINT FAILURE EHFDWDVWURSKLF6XFKIDLOXUHVDUHEOLVWHULQJÀDNLQJ
by Charles G. Munger and peeling.
Good Painting Practice, Steel Structures Paint Manual, 4. Failure can occur from the surface to be protected
Volume 1, Chapter 23 (the substrate). The coating may be incompatible
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Coatings or paints are the principal materials of corrosion EHWZHHQWKHVXUIDFHDQGWKHFRDWLQJRUWKHGHQVLW\RU
protection for all steel structures. This is true almost smoothness of the surface may cause the coating to
ZLWKRXWUHJDUGWRWKHXVHRIWKHVWUXFWXUHZKHWKHULWEHD have poor adhesion.
EULGJHVKLSFKHPLFDOSODQWWDQNIDUPUH¿QHU\KLJKULVH 5. The coating may fail from exterior forces such as
RI¿FHEXLOGLQJRUXQGHUJURXQGSLSHOLQH(YHU\H[SRVXUH FKHPLFDOH[SRVXUHDEUDVLRQRUVHYHUHZHDWKHULQJ
of a coating is different, even though it may be used for 6. The coating may fail because of poor or inadequate
the same purpose at different locations. Bridges in Florida surface preparation or application. Here, surface
are exposed to vastly different conditions than bridges FRQWDPLQDWLRQSRRUVXUIDFHSUR¿OHLQDGHTXDWH
in the northern part of the United States or Canada, and thickness control, pinholes, overspray, improper
a tank farm in California is exposed to conditions quite drying, lack of cure or holidays can cause rapid failure.
different from one on the Gulf Coast. As coatings are 7. The design of the structure itself is often a cause for
the primary protection for all of these vastly different VHYHUHIDLOXUH6KDUSHGJHVFUHYLFHVVNLSZHOGV
exposures, it is understandable that failure of coated back-to-back angles all are focal points for failure.
surfaces is inherent and that time to failure is the critical
dimension in this phenomenon. All paints, and particularly many of the more advanced
coatings, are complex chemical mixtures that must react
Failure can occur for a number of reasons: LQSODFHRQWKHVXUIDFHRYHUZKLFKWKH\DUHDSSOLHG3DLQWV
1. Improper selection of the coating for the service. Too and coatings contain a number of interacting ingredients:
often, a coating designed for steel surfaces may be resins, plasticizers, curing agents, pigments, extenders,
H[WHQGHGRXWRYHUDFRQFUHWHRUZRRGVXUIDFHIURP catalysts, fungicides and solvents. These are applied
WKHVWHHOVWUXFWXUHZLWKUDSLGIDLOXUHRFFXUULQJRQWKH WRWKHVXUIDFHDVDYHU\WKLQ¿OPDIHZPLFURPHWHUV
QRQPHWDOOLFVXUIDFH$OVRDFRDWLQJZKLFKPLJKWEH or thousandths of an inch in thickness. The solvents
excellent on the exterior of a storage tank may be must evaporate properly. The non-volatile portion of the
a complete failure on a chemical reaction vessel. OLTXLGFRDWLQJPXVWGHSRVLWLQDFRQWLQXRXVHYHQ¿OP
3URSHUVHOHFWLRQRIDFRDWLQJIRUDQ\VSHFL¿FSXUSRVH over the surface. It must adhere to and possibly react
is extremely important. ZLWKWKHVXUIDFH,WDOVRPD\UHDFWZLWKLQWHUQDOFXULQJ
2. The coating may fail from causes inherent to that DJHQWVZLWKR[\JHQIURPWKHDLURUZLWKZDWHUIURPWKH
VSHFL¿FFRDWLQJ6XFKIDLOXUHFRXOGEHFKDONLQJ DLULQRUGHUWREHFRPHDQLQVROXEOHUHODWLYHO\LQHUW¿OP
checking or alligatoring. RIORZSHUPHDELOLW\ZKLFKKDVJRRGDSSHDUDQFH7KLV
WKLQ¿OPPXVWWKHQZLWKVWDQGUDLQZLQGWKHVXQ¶VUD\V
humidity, cold, heat, oxidation, physical abuse, chemicals,
biodegradation and other forces. With all of the variables
involved in the formation and use of paints or coatings,
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Coating
Soluble Salt or Table 3 lists several chromates that have been used or are
Salt Crystal
Water or Salt Water (dilute) Salt Solution SUHVHQWO\EHLQJXVHGLQFRDWLQJV7KHRQHVZLWKWKHORZHVW
(Concentrated)
Direction of water by osmosis (passage of water through
a semi-permeable membrane from the dilute solution in the Formed by Moisture solubility are preferable from the standpoint of resistance
direction of the more concentrated solution). Vapor on Soluble Salt
to osmosis and blistering.
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atmosphere to a piece of steel having a salt deposit on
WKHVXUIDFHDQGLIDIWHUWKHFRDWLQJZHUHDSSOLHGDQGGU\
WKHVWHHOZHUHVXEMHFWWRLPPHUVLRQPRLVWXUHZRXOGEH
IRUFHGWKURXJKWKHFRDWLQJIURPWKHZDWHURQWKHRXWVLGH
of the coating to the salt crystals on the underside of the
FRDWLQJ7KHVDOWFU\VWDOVZRXOGDEVRUEDVPDOODPRXQWRI
PRLVWXUHLQWKHEHJLQQLQJFUHDWLQJDVROXWLRQZLWKDKLJK
concentration of salt. Osmotic pressure is created by the
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from the more dilute side to the more concentrated side Another blister forming process is that of electro-
of the membrane. The pressure built up on the underside endosmosis. In this process moisture vapor or molecular
of the coating may be quite high (several ounces/sq. ZDWHULVIRUFHGWKURXJKWKHFRDWLQJE\DQHOHFWULFDOFXUUHQW
in.). Moisture vapor being forced by the osmotic process LQWKHGLUHFWLRQRIWKHHOHFWULFDOSROHZLWKWKHVDPHFKDUJH
WKURXJKDFRDWLQJZLWKSRRUDGKHVLRQFDQFDXVHEOLVWHUV as the coating. Most coatings are negatively charged, and
to form. But coating may have adhesion stronger than if the underlying metal surface is cathodic, or has a source
WKHRVPRWLFSUHVVXUHWKDWGHYHORSVDQGWKXVZLOOQRW RIQHJDWLYHHOHFWURQVPRLVWXUHLVWKHQGUDZQWKURXJK
blister. WKHFRDWLQJWRZDUGVWKHQHJDWLYHSROH8QGHUWKHVH
conditions, if there are areas of poor adhesion, blisters
form readily. Incidentally, this process has caused coatings
on structures subject to excessive cathodic protection
WREOLVWHUDZD\IURPWKHVXUIDFH&DWKRGLFSRWHQWLDOVLQ
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5. Undercutting
Undercutting is another type of adhesion failure that
involves the gradual penetration of corrosion underneath
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unprotected edges.
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applied over mill scale. Moisture and oxygen penetrate
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adhesion and thus form progressive corrosion beneath
the coating. The application of coatings over a very
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creates a condition inviting this type of failure. Most of
these undercutting failures can be substantially reduced
by proper surface preparation prior to the application of
Undercutting
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characteristics. Salt
Water Oxygen
Rust Tubercle
Organic Coating
Steel
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