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Blotter Test

The compressed air blotter test checks compressed air for the presence of oil and water, which can negatively impact painting and coating processes. Oil can cause paint adhesion issues and water can cause rust. The test involves spraying compressed air onto a clean cotton cloth for 1-5 minutes and inspecting the cloth for any oil or water, providing evidence of air quality for clients. Maintaining clean, dry compressed air is important for achieving high quality finishes and coatings that will last.

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171 views

Blotter Test

The compressed air blotter test checks compressed air for the presence of oil and water, which can negatively impact painting and coating processes. Oil can cause paint adhesion issues and water can cause rust. The test involves spraying compressed air onto a clean cotton cloth for 1-5 minutes and inspecting the cloth for any oil or water, providing evidence of air quality for clients. Maintaining clean, dry compressed air is important for achieving high quality finishes and coatings that will last.

Uploaded by

Anonymous 0rt9KWmN
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Compressed Air Blotter Test

What is it checking for?

The background behind this specification, which is becoming more and more prevalent in
engineering documentation, has to do with the presence of oil and water in the air stream. As you
can imagine having oil sprayed onto a surface prior to painting would be terrible. It would
immediately create fish eyes, lack of adhesion and all types of terrible things for the paint. Water is
just as bad as flash rusting can occur.

Rubber and hydrocarbons for the most part dont get along. So the presence of oil on a surface will
definitely have a negative impact on the adhesion and longevity of rubber on a steel sub straight.

Why would water be in the air line?

Humidity (water molecules suspended in the air) is found in the air all around us. When compressed
the moisture forms into water. Most compressors are equipped with a water separator. But water
separators are not all created equal. Based on the volume of blasting or painting, your air water
separator may not be able to process the volume of water. Winter is a good gauge of if your water air
separator is working for your setup. If your lines freeze in winter yours is not adequate for your work
load.

Why would oil be in the air line in the first place?

Not all compressors are made the same. Piston compressors are more prone to oil in the air than
screw compressors. Although all compressor designs offer various risk to oil in the air lines, there are
many inline solution to capturing any residual oil left in the air.

How is the testing done?

You can use a 4 X 4 clean cotton cloth. Spray for a duration of 1-5 minutes and look to see if you
any oil or water. This only needs to be done once per shift as objective evidence for your client if
required. Otherwise its good practice to monitor your compressor air as well as you oil separation for
long term performance issues.

For the exact specification the standard would be according to ASTM D 4285

The net result of good clean air!

A clean well blasted metal with no surface impurities will enable you to create a perfect adhesive
bond that will ensure a rubber coating will last forever.

Good process equals good results

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