AMPP CIP Level 1 key terms

A thin protective layer applied to a surface to block corrosion, abrasion, or chemical attack and to improve appearance. It may consist of one layer or several bonded layers.

The base material that a coating is applied to, such as steel, concrete, aluminum, or wood. Its condition and cleanliness strongly affect how well the coating bonds.

The complete set of coats specified for a job, typically primer, intermediate coat, and topcoat, designed to work together and provide the required protection and appearance.

The first coat applied to a prepared substrate. It is formulated to bond tightly to the surface and often carries corrosion-inhibiting pigments that protect the steel beneath the full system.

The final coat of a coating system, exposed to the environment. It provides the primary barrier against weather, chemicals, and sunlight and gives the finish its color and gloss.

A standardized document supplied by the coating manufacturer that lists a product's hazards, safe handling procedures, personal protective equipment needs, and emergency first-aid measures. Inspectors review it before work begins.

An enclosed or partially enclosed area with limited entry and exit that is not designed for continuous occupancy. Coating work inside such spaces requires atmospheric testing, ventilation, and a trained attendant.

A step in the work that cannot proceed without the inspector's documented approval. Work is paused at that point until the required check or test is completed and accepted.

A written record describing work or material that does not meet the specification, including the location, the requirement violated, and the corrective action proposed. It is tracked until the issue is resolved.

A project document that lists each inspection and test to be performed, the acceptance criteria, who performs it, and when it happens. It identifies hold points and documentation requirements.

Removing oil, grease, dirt, and other contaminants by wiping, spraying, or immersion with solvents before mechanical surface preparation. If left in place, these contaminants can be driven into the steel by blasting.

A surface preparation method that propels abrasive particles at high velocity against a substrate to remove rust, mill scale, old coatings, and contaminants, and to create a roughened profile for coating adhesion.

The most thorough abrasive blast cleaning standard, removing all visible rust, mill scale, coatings, and foreign matter so the surface has a uniform, gray-white metallic color. Usually specified for severe service.

An abrasive blast cleaning standard that removes nearly all rust, mill scale, and old coatings, leaving only slight shadows or streaks on no more than five percent of the surface.

An abrasive blast cleaning standard that removes all rust, mill scale, and old coatings except for tightly adhering stains or shadows, which may remain on up to about thirty-three percent of the surface.

The microscopic roughness or angular pattern created on a substrate by abrasive blasting or other mechanical preparation. It gives the coating a mechanical key and is measured in mils or micrometers.

A thin, hard oxide layer formed on hot-rolled steel during cooling. It is brittle, can flake off, and must be removed before coating because it interferes with adhesion and can promote corrosion.

Contaminants such as chlorides and sulfates that dissolve in water and remain on or near the steel surface. They draw moisture, cause osmotic blistering, and must be tested and removed before coating.

The hard particles, such as garnet, coal slag, or steel grit, used in blast cleaning. Its type, size, shape, and cleanliness affect the cleaning rate, the profile produced, and whether contamination is introduced.

Mechanical surface preparation using hand-held power tools such as grinders, wire brushes, or needle guns. It removes loose rust and coatings but typically does not remove tightly adherent mill scale.

The temperature at which moisture in the air begins to condense on a surface. Applying coating when steel is near or below the dew point results in a wet surface and poor adhesion.

The amount of water vapor in the air expressed as a percentage of the maximum the air could hold at that temperature. High humidity slows solvent release and can cause amine blush or poor cure.

The temperature of the substrate itself, read with a contact or infrared thermometer. It governs whether conditions are suitable for application and must stay above the dew point by a specified margin.

The length of time after mixing during which a plural-component coating remains usable. Once pot life expires, the material thickens or gels and must be discarded rather than thinned for use.

The waiting period, also called sweat-in time, recommended after mixing some plural-component coatings and before application. It allows chemical reactions to begin and trapped air to escape.

The time range after application during which the next coat may be applied without surface preparation. Exceeding it can require abrading the surface to restore adhesion between coats.

An extra pass of coating brushed or sprayed along edges, welds, corners, and back-to-back angles before the main coat. These areas are hard to cover at full thickness with spray alone.

The thickness of a coating measured immediately after application while it is still wet, using a comb or wheel gauge. It lets the applicator adjust spray technique before the coating cures.

A spray method that forces coating through a small nozzle at high hydraulic pressure, atomizing it without compressed air. It delivers high build rates and reduces overspray compared with conventional air spray.

A surface defect in which the cured coating has a bumpy texture resembling orange skin. It results from poor atomization, incorrect solvent, or coating applied too thick or too cold.

A coating supplied in two or more separate parts that must be mixed in the correct ratio just before use. Once mixed, the chemical reaction limits pot life and the material cannot be stored.

The thickness of the cured coating measured with a magnetic, eddy-current, or ultrasonic gauge. It is compared against the specification and is the main measure of coating system compliance.

A small break, pinhole, or thin spot in a coating that exposes the substrate or allows electrical current to pass. Holidays are located with a holiday detector and must be repaired.

An instrument that measures relative humidity and dew point using two thermometers, one dry and one with a wetted wick. Air passed over the wet bulb cools it by evaporation.

A compressible foam tape pressed onto a blasted surface. Its compressed thickness, read with a spring micrometer, gives a numerical value for the surface profile depth.

A field test for soluble salts in which a patch of controlled volume is sealed to the surface and the extracted solution is analyzed with a conductivity meter or test strip.

A device that uses a wet sponge and low voltage to find pinholes and thin spots in nonconductive coatings. A current leak triggers an audible or visual alarm.

A test in which a loading fixture is glued to the coating and pulled perpendicularly until the coating detaches. The force and the failure location are recorded.