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29 October 2003

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 BRITISH STANDARD BS 7079-0:
1990

Preparation of steel
substrates before
application of paints
and related products —
Part 0: Introduction
Licensed Copy: Tom Magee, Howden Power, 29 October 2003, Uncontrolled Copy, (c) BSI
 BS 7079-0:1990

Committees responsible for this

British Standard

The preparation of this British Standard was entrusted by the Pigments,

Paints and Varnishes Standards Policy Committee (PVC/–) to Technical
Committee PVC/21, upon which the following bodies were represented:

Association of Anti-corrosion Inspectorates

Association of Consulting Engineers
British Chemical Engineering Contractors’ Association
British Constructional Steelwork Association Ltd.
British Gas plc
British Grit Association
British Maritime Technology
British Railways Board
British Steel Industry
Construction Industry Research and Information Association
Corrosion Control Engineering Joint Venture
Department of Transport
Licensed Copy: Tom Magee, Howden Power, 29 October 2003, Uncontrolled Copy, (c) BSI

Electricity Supply Industry in England and Wales

Institution of Corrosion Science and Technology
Iron and Steel Trades Confederation
Ministry of Defence
National Federation of Painting and Decorating Contractors
Oil and Colour Chemists’ Association
Paint Research Association
Paintmakers Association of Great Britain Ltd.
RAPRA Technology Ltd.
Royal Society of Chemistry
United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority

This British Standard, having

been prepared under the
direction of the Pigments,
Paints and Varnishes
Standards Policy Committee,
was published under the
authority of the Board of BSI
and comes into effect on Amendments issued since publication
30 November 1990
Amd. No. Date Comments
© BSI 12-1998

The following BSI references

relate to the work on this
standard:
Committee reference PVC/21
Draft for comment 89/51151 DC

ISBN 0 580 19106 0

 BS 7079-0:1990

Contents

Page
Committees responsible Inside front cover
Foreword ii
1 Scope 1
2 Definitions 1
3 General information 3
Publication(s) referred to Inside back cover
Licensed Copy: Tom Magee, Howden Power, 29 October 2003, Uncontrolled Copy, (c) BSI

© BSI 12-1998 i
 BS 7079-0:1990

Foreword

This Part of BS 7079 has been prepared under the direction of the Pigments,
Paints and Varnishes Standards Policy Committee.
Technical Committee 35 “Paints and Varnishes” of the International
Organization for Standardization (ISO), with the active participation of the
United Kingdom, has prepared a series of international standards concerned with
the preparation of steel substrates before application of paints and related
products, as follows.
ISO 8501 Preparation of steel substrates before application of paints and
related products — Visual assessment of surface cleanliness
ISO 8502 Preparation of steel substrates before application of paints and
related products — Test methods for the assessment of surface cleanliness
ISO 8503 Preparation of steel substrates before application of paints and
related products — Surface roughness characteristics of blast-cleaned steel
substrates
ISO 8504 Preparation of steel substrates before application of paints and
related products — Surface preparation methods
Each of these international standards is divided into Parts.
To implement these as British Standards, the committee responsible has decided
Licensed Copy: Tom Magee, Howden Power, 29 October 2003, Uncontrolled Copy, (c) BSI

that the various Parts of the four international standards are to be implemented
as Parts of a single British Standard: BS 7079. The British Standard is divided
into four Groups: A, B, C and D, corresponding to ISO 8501, ISO 8502, ISO 8503
and ISO 8504 respectively. Each Group is further divided into a number of Parts,
corresponding to the Parts of the respective international standard. A list of the
planned Groups and Parts of BS 7079, and the corresponding ISO standard, is
given in clause 3. A number of these Parts have already been published. Other
Parts are in preparation.
Together with the Parts of BS 7079 already published, this Part supersedes
BS 4232:1967 which is withdrawn. BS 7079 differs from BS 4232 principally in
that, in its various Parts, it now:
a) covers, in addition to abrasive blast-cleaning, other surface preparation
methods;
b) defines four rust grades (designated A,B,C and D) of uncoated steel surfaces
commonly used for structural work;
c) gives representative photographic examples of the appearance of the steel
before and after surface preparation;
d) specifies 14 grades of surface preparation by abrasive blast-cleaning
methods;
e) specifies six grades of surface preparation by hand- or power-tool methods;
f) specifies four grades of surface preparation by flame-cleaning methods;
g) describes a series of test methods for the assessment of surface cleanliness;
h) describes methods for the determination of the surface roughness
characteristics of abrasively blast-cleaned substrates.
A British Standard does not purport to include all the necessary provisions of a
contract. Users of British Standards are responsible for their correct application.
Compliance with a British Standard does not of itself confer immunity
from legal obligations.
Summary of pages
This document comprises a front cover, an inside front cover, pages i and ii,
pages 1 to 4, an inside back cover and a back cover.
This standard has been updated (see copyright date) and may have had
amendments incorporated. This will be indicated in the amendment table on
the inside front cover.

ii © BSI 12-1998
 BS 7079-0:1990

1 Scope 2.4
anti-corrosive paint
This Part of BS 7079 provides a general
introduction to the standard and its series of Parts. a coating material used to retard the corrosion of
It gives general information on the overall structure metals and, more particularly, specially formulated
of BS 7079 and on the relationship between its Parts to retard the rusting of iron or steel
and the parts of ISO 8501, ISO 8502, ISO 8503 and 2.5
ISO 8504. It also includes definitions applicable to bevelled back
all Parts of BS 7079. Additional definitions, specific
see 2.16
to certain processes, are given in the respective
Parts. 2.6
blast-cleaning
BS 7079 is applicable to hot-rolled steel surfaces
which are to be prepared for painting by abrasive see 2.2
blast-cleaning, hand- and power-tool cleaning, and 2.7
flame cleaning. blast primer
Although these methods of surface preparation are a coating material that is applied to a ferrous
primarily intended for use with hot-rolled steel, [Fe(II)] substrate directly after blast-cleaning
abrasive blast-cleaning methods, in particular, may (see 2.30)
also be applicable to the surface preparation of
NOTE Certain types of blast primer may not have to be
cold-rolled steel of sufficient thickness to withstand
Licensed Copy: Tom Magee, Howden Power, 29 October 2003, Uncontrolled Copy, (c) BSI

removed prior to welding.

any deformation caused by the impact of the
2.8
abrasive.
blistering
NOTE The titles of the publications referred to in this standard
are listed on the inside back page. the formation of dome-shaped projections or blisters
in the dry film of coating material by local loss of
2 Definitions adhesion and lifting of the film from the underlying
For the purposes of this British Standard, the surface
following definitions apply. NOTE Such blisters may contain liquid, vapour, gas or crystals
(see also BS 3900-II2).
NOTE A confusing aspect of the terminology in this field is the
tendency to use the term “coating” in three senses: for the 2.9
material applied, the action of applying the material, and the cleaned surface
resulting film. In this Part of BS 7079 “coating” is used only for
the action, “coat” is used for the resulting film and “coating a surface from which contaminants have been
material” for the material used. removed and which may be qualified in accordance
2.1 with a specified preparation grade
abrasive 2.10
natural or synthetic solid material used as the coat
medium in abrasive blast-cleaning a continuous layer of a coating material that results
NOTE For details on commonly used abrasives (including from a single application
terms belonging to a full description) see BS 7079-D21).
2.11
2.2 comparator
abrasive blast-cleaning
see 2.42
the impingement of a high kinetic energy stream of
abrasive on to the surface to be prepared 2.12
contaminated surface
NOTE Main groups of abrasive blast-cleaning methods are dry
abrasive blast-cleaning, moisture injection abrasive a surface on which matter is present that is
blast-cleaning and wet abrasive blast-cleaning. For details detrimental to the adhesion and/or durability of a
see BS 7079-D21).
protective coating
2.3
NOTE Typical contaminants include rust, laminated rust scale,
adhesive strength loose mill scale, oil, grease, welding flux, spatter and slag, and
the sum total of the forces of attachment between a other chemical contaminants.
dry film and its substrate (see also BS 2015)

1)
In preparation.

© BSI 12-1998 1
 BS 7079-0:1990

2.13 2.22
corrosion machine abrading
the deterioration of steel by chemical or a particular surface preparation procedure (further
electrochemical reaction resulting from exposure to described in BS 7079-A22)), comprising cleaning by
natural weathering, moisture, chemicals or other thorough mechanical roughening and, if necessary,
agents present in the service environment by rotating wire brushes, possibly supported by the
2.14 application of needle guns.
descaling (scaling) 2.23
the removal of mill scale or laminated rust from manual cleaning
steel or other ferrous (Fe[II)] substrates see 2.21
2.15 2.24
durability mill scale
the degree to which surface coating systems the layer of iron oxides produced during the hot
withstand the destructive effects of their rolling of steel
environment (see also BS 2015) 2.25
NOTE The destructive effects comprise weathering, performance
mechanical, chemical and others.
see 2.15
2.16
Licensed Copy: Tom Magee, Howden Power, 29 October 2003, Uncontrolled Copy, (c) BSI

feather edging 2.26

phosphating (phosphate treatment)
tapering, usually by abrading, the thickness of the
edge of a dry coating system (for example the edge of pretreatment of steel or certain other metal surfaces
a damaged area) prior to repainting with chemical solutions, containing metal
NOTE “Bevelled back” is also used to describe such tapering. phosphates and phosphoric acid as the main
constituents, to form a thin, inert, adherent,
2.17
corrosion-inhibiting phosphate layer, which serves
flame cleaning
as a good base for subsequent paint coats
the short time application of a reducing oxygen/fuel
2.27
gas flame to structural steel, followed by power tool
pickling
wire-brushing
NOTE This definition relates specifically to flame cleaning in a process by which rust and mill scale are removed
accordance with BS 7079-A1. from steel by immersion in an acid solution
2.18 containing an inhibitor, followed by thorough
flash rusting washing and drying before painting
visible formation of a film or spots of rust on a 2.28
freshly prepared steel surface pitting
2.19 the formation, due to corrosion, of small cavities in
grit a metal substrate
a term used to describe the angular or irregularly 2.29
shaped particles of abrasives used for power-tool cleaning
blast-cleaning. See also 2.38 the cleaning of surfaces by the use of power-assisted
NOTE The term should not be used to denote the material hand tools
itself. It should be used only in the sense of the above definition. NOTE This definition is not to be confused with 2.21.
2.20 2.30
hackles prefabrication primer
raised slivers of steel that sometimes protrude a quick-drying coating material applied as a thin
above the surrounding profile (see BS 7079-C1) film to a metal surface after cleaning to give
2.21 protection in the period before and during
hand-tool cleaning fabrication. See also 2.7
cleaning of surfaces by the use of hand tools, without
power assistance. See also 2.29

2)
In preparation.

2 © BSI 12-1998
 BS 7079-0:1990

2.31 2.39
preparation grade soluble iron corrosion products
classification describing the degree of cleaning water-soluble compounds formed by the corrosion of
achieved on steel surfaces by a given preparation iron in the presence of chemical contamination
method and procedure 2.40
NOTE Grades for the visual cleanliness of prepared surfaces solvent cleaning
are defined by written descriptions supported by representative
photographic examples. See BS 7079-A1 and BS 7079-A23). the removal of oil or grease from a surface, prior to
2.32 painting, by the action of a suitable solvent
primary profile (see also BS 2015)
the original surface profile prior to the surface 2.41
preparation procedure surface profile
2.33 the micro-roughness of a surface, generally
priming coat expressed as the average height of the major peaks
relative to the major valleys (see also BS 7079-C1)
the first coat of a coating system applied to a
prepared surface 2.42
surface profile comparator
2.34
rogue peaks a specimen surface, or surfaces, of known average
Licensed Copy: Tom Magee, Howden Power, 29 October 2003, Uncontrolled Copy, (c) BSI

profile, representing a particular surface

isolated peaks, substantially higher than the preparation process
surrounding profile, usually caused by the presence
NOTE ISO surface profile reference comparators for the
of over-sized abrasive in the abrasive mixture used assessment of abrasive blast-cleaned surfaces are specified in
during blast-cleaning with grit abrasive BS 7079-C1.
(see BS 7079-C1)
2.35 3 General information
rust grade (degree of rusting) Since the issue of BS 4232 “Surface finish of
classification describing the degree of rust blast-cleaned steel for painting” in 1967,
formation on a steel surface prior to cleaning considerable experience has been accumulated on
NOTE 1 The surface may be either uncoated, or coated by
the importance and effect that the surface
metallic and/or paint coat. preparation of the steel substrate has on surface
NOTE 2 Rust grades are defined by written descriptions and coating performance.
illustrated in representative photographic examples.
See BS 7079-A1 for uncoated surfaces (rust grades A,B,C, and D)
When the revision of BS 4232 was contemplated, it
and BS 3900-H3 for painted surfaces degrees of rusting Ri 0 to was considered that its scope should be widened to
Ri 5). include preparation grades, surface preparation
2.36 methods, etc., particularly in view of the fact that
secondary profile industry often used the representative photographic
examples contained in the Swedish Standard
the surface profile resulting from the effect of the
SIS 05 5900:1967 in preference to BS 4232. An
surface preparation procedure on the primary
updated version of SIS 05 5900 has been adopted as
profile
ISO 8501-1 and has been published as BS 7079-A1.
2.37 The representative photographic examples are
shop primer produced by a litho printing process to reproduce
a protective coating material for application to a photographic transparencies onto sheets of
component that is subsequently to be finished on transparent plastic film.
site It is recognized that, in most cases, the cleanliness
2.38 of the prepared steel surface cannot be established
shot by visual appearance only. Unseen chemical
contamination, in the form of soluble ferrous salts
a term used to describe the spherically shaped present on the steel surface, will promote the
particles of abrasive used for blast-cleaning. corrosion process and lead to premature failure of
See also 2.19 the protective system. A range of chemical tests to
NOTE The term should not be used to denote the material confirm the presence of contaminants is included in
itself. It should be used only in the sense of the above definition.
Part B13) and B23) of BS 7079.

3)
In preparation.

© BSI 12-1998 3
 BS 7079-0:1990

BS 4232 made reference to the importance of the Group C Surface roughness characteristics of
surface profile, in relationship to the surface coating blast-cleaned steel substrates
thickness applied, to ensure adequate protection. A Part C1:1989 Specification for surface profile
simple visual/tactile surface profile comparator has comparators for the assessment of abrasively
been devised to assist in defining the category of blast-cleaned surfaces
surface profile roughness of blast-cleaned steel.
(Identical with ISO 8503-1:1988)
Group C of BS 7079 contains four Parts relating to
the surface roughness characteristics of Part C2:1989 Method for the grading of
blast-cleaned steel. surface profile of abrasively blast-cleaned
steel using a comparator
Surface preparation methods are described in
Group D. Group D includes one Part covering (Identical with ISO 8503-2:1988)
general principles and giving further definitions Part C3:1989 Method for the calibration of
with additional Parts giving abrasive blast-cleaning surface profile comparators and for the
and hand– and power-tool cleaning methods. determination of surface profile using a
The titles of the various Groups and Parts of focusing microscope
BS 7079 are as follows. Corresponding international (Identical with ISO 8503-3:1988)
standards are also indicated. Further Parts of Part C4:1989 Method for the calibration of
BS 7079 may be prepared as work in ISO surface profile comparators and for the
progresses. determination of surface profile using a stylus
Licensed Copy: Tom Magee, Howden Power, 29 October 2003, Uncontrolled Copy, (c) BSI

Group A Visual assessment of surface instrument

cleanliness (Identical with ISO 8503-4:1988)
Part A1:1989 Specification for rust grades and Group D Methods for surface preparation
preparation grades of uncoated steel
substrates and of steel substrates after overall Part D1 General principles
removal of previous coatings (To implement ISO 8504-14))
(Identical with ISO 8501-1:1988) Part D2 Abrasive blast-cleaning
Part A1: Supplement 1:1989 Representative (To implement ISO 8504-24))
photographic examples of the change of Part D3 Hand- and power-tool cleaning
appearance imparted to steel when
(To implement ISO 8504-34))
blast-cleaned with different abrasives
Part A2 Specification for preparation grades of
previously coated steel substrates after
localized removal of previous coatings
(To implement ISO 8501-24))
Group B Methods for the assessment of surface
cleanliness
Part B1 Field test for soluble iron corrosion
products on abrasively blast-cleaned steel
(To implement ISO 8502-14))
Part B2 Determination of chlorides on cleaned
surfaces
(To implement ISO 8502-24))
Part B3 Assessment of dust on steel surfaces
prepared for painting by pressure-sensitive
tape method
(To implement ISO 8502-34))
Part B4 Guide to the estimation of the
probability of condensation on a surface to be
painted
(To implement ISO 8502-44))

4)
In preparation.

4 © BSI 12-1998
 BS 7079-0:1990

Publication(s) referred to

BS 2015, Glossary of paint terms.

BS 3900, Methods of test for paints.
BS 3900-H1, Designation of degree of blistering.
BS 3900-H2, Designation of degree of rusting.
BS 7079, Preparation of steel substrates before application of paints and related products.
ISO 8501, Preparation of steel substrates before application of paints and related products — Visual
assessment of surface cleanliness.
ISO 8502, Preparation of steel substrates before application of paints and related products — Test methods
for the assessment of surface cleanliness5).
ISO 8503, Preparation of steel substrates before application of paints and related products — Surface
roughness characteristics of blast-cleaned steel substrates.
ISO 8504, Preparation of steel substrates before application of paints and related products — Surface
preparation methods5).
Licensed Copy: Tom Magee, Howden Power, 29 October 2003, Uncontrolled Copy, (c) BSI

5) In preparation.

© BSI 12-1998
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