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SUBJECT: SURFACE PROTECTION OF PROPRIETARY VESSELS

GENERAL SPECIFICATION FOR

SURFACE PROTECTION OF PROPRIETARY VESSELS

007 15/03/2021 Final MTA HUB TK 14

006 24/04/2019 Final TK MTA HUB 13
005 05/09/2018 Final TK MTA CHG 13
004 08/02/2018 Final SCT TK SCT 13
003 11/01/2017 Final SCT SER SCT 13
002 31/03/2016 Final LON TK SCT 13
001 07/04/2010 First Issue STG HUB DDS 15
REVISION DATE STATUS WRITTEN CHECKED APPROVED No. OF PAGES
This document is the property of Desmet Ballestra who will safeguard its rights according to the civil and penal
provisions of the law.
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Record of changes between revision 007 and revision 006

Chapter Remarks

All Header modified

5.4 For all Business Lines except Preparation, colour specified for CS
equipment, in function of operating temperature as follows:
- RAL 5005 Signal Blue, up to 120 °C;
- RAL 9006 White Aluminium, between 121 °C and 300 °C.
9 Added for seaside conditions
10 Chapter reviewed considering chapter 9
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Contents
1 Scope ............................................................................................................................................. 4
2 Field of application ...................................................................................................................... 4
3 Standards, codes and references................................................................................................. 4
4 Pre-requisites................................................................................................................................ 5
5 Carbon steel surface protection .................................................................................................. 5
5.1 Surface Preparation .............................................................................................................. 6
5.2 High Alloy Steel Surfaces and Machined Surfaces ............................................................... 6
5.3 Internal Surfaces ................................................................................................................... 6
5.4 External Surfaces .................................................................................................................. 6
5.5 Paint Handling and Application ........................................................................................... 8
5.5.1 Paint handling ................................................................................................................................. 8
5.5.2 Paint application ............................................................................................................................. 8
6 Stainless steel surface protection .............................................................................................. 10
7 Inspection and quality control .................................................................................................. 12
8 Installed Equipment Surface Protection Considerations at Seaside ..................................... 14
9 Guarantees.................................................................................................................................. 15
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1 Scope
This specification outlines the general requirements for the protection of carbon steel and
stainless steel surfaces against corrosion during transport and erection.

Painting is specifically not to be applied on the following surfaces:

• Non-ferrous steel surfaces (aluminium, brass, copper, titanium, etc.)
• Plastic and plastic-coated surfaces
• Glass surfaces
• Name plates

2 Field of application
This specification is applicable to all Desmet Ballestra proprietary vessels manufactured in
workshops and port facilities.

This technical note shall be made available to workshops together with the drawings at
invitation to tender and shall be taken into consideration in the vessel manufacturing price.

This technical note shall be incorporated in purchase orders to workshops.

If there are any conflicts between this specification and other specifications, the priority shall
be in the following order:
1. Paint manufacturer’s instructions;
2. This specification;
3. Codes and standards.

3 Standards, codes and references

The latest editions and revisions of one of the following standards shall be used to supplement
and define the intentions and requirements of this standard:

• ISO standard:
ISO 8501-1: Preparation of steel substrates before application of paints and related
products. Visual assessment of surface cleanliness.
ISO 2808: Paints and varnishes. Determination of film thicknesses.
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ISO 4628/3: Evaluation of degradation of coatings. Assessment of degree of rusting

• American steel structures painting council standards:

SSPC - PA1: Shop, field and maintenance painting
SSPC - PA2: Measurement of dry paint thickness with magnetic gauges
SSPC - SP1: Solvent cleaning
SSPC - SP2: Hand tool cleaning
SSPC - SP3: Power tool cleaning
SSPC - SP5: White metal blast cleaning
SSPC - SP6: Commercial blast cleaning
SSPC - SP7: Brush-off blast cleaning
SSPC - SP8: Pickling
SSPC - SP10: Near white blast cleaning

4 Pre-requisites
Prior to start of surface preparation, all surface defects likely to be detrimental to the surface
protection shall be removed:
- all fins at saw cuts, burrs and sharp edges shall be properly removed;
- weld splatter, slag and temporary tacks are removed by mechanical means on parent
material and welds;
- all surface notches, weld under-cuts and heavy handling marks are properly built up by
welding and ground smooth;
- uneven and coarse ripples in the welds are properly built up by welding and ground
smooth.

All testing shall also be completed and Desmet Ballestra’s inspector shall give a formal “release
for surface protection” for the vessel.

5 Carbon steel surface protection

All carbon steel surfaces shall be protected against corrosion.
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5.1 Surface Preparation

Surface preparation should be as per paint manufacturer recommendations. The use of pre-
sand-blasted and weld primer coated raw plates is allowed.

5.2 High Alloy Steel Surfaces and Machined Surfaces

High alloy steel surfaces (AISI 4140, Hastelloy, etc.) and machined surfaces (gasket contact
surfaces, shaft surfaces, gear teeth, etc.) should be protected with seaworthy grease and covered
with resistant plastic film, clean cloth or special removable plastic spray.

5.3 Internal Surfaces

Unless otherwise specified, all reachable inside carbon steel surfaces shall be cleaned and
protected with either:
• Edible oil to minimum 100 µm thickness, or;
• HEMPADUR 85671 rust inhibitor, FDA food-grade certified, white colour, to
minimum 25 µm thickness.

Internal temporary bolts and supports installed for stabilization during transport and lifting in
all product lines shall be painted using colour RAL 3024 Luminous Red. After transport,
lifting and erection on site, these items are to be removed and disposed of.

5.4 External Surfaces

External carbon steel surfaces with operating temperature ≤ 120 °C shall be coated as follows:

Primer coat to a minimum of 100 µm thickness

• Two component polyamide cured epoxy primer, or
• Epoxy zinc phosphate primer (high build type) based on two-pack, polyamide cured
epoxy type and suitable for the final coat of epoxy or polyurethane coating
Final coat to a minimum of 60 µm thickness
• Two component high build epoxy or polyurethane paint
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External carbon steel surfaces with operating temperature >120 °C to ≤ 300 °C shall be coated
as follows:

Primer coat to a minimum of 75 µm thickness

• Heat resistant Primer based on a one-pack silicone type primer
Final coat to a minimum of 25 µm thickness
• Heat resistant silicone finish

Vessel external surfaces including manhole covers, inspection covers and maintenance lifting
lugs in seed preparation product line shall be painted using colour RAL 9001 Cream.

Vessel external surfaces including manhole covers, inspection covers and maintenance lifting
lugs in solvent extraction, oil refining, fat modification, biodiesel and oleochemical product
lines shall be painted using colour RAL 5005 Signal Blue, for CS equipment operating up to
120 °C.

Vessel external surfaces including manhole covers, inspection covers and maintenance lifting
lugs in solvent extraction, oil refining, fat modification, biodiesel and oleochemical product
lines shall be painted using colour RAL 9006 White Aluminium, for CS equipment operating
between 121 °C and 300°C.

Guards protecting rotating parts and pinch points (couplings, chains, sprockets, gears, sheaves,
belts, etc) in all product lines shall be painted using colour RAL 2005 Luminous Orange.

Transport lifting trunnions, lifting lugs and tailing lugs in all product lines shall be painted
using colour RAL 1026 Luminous Yellow and remain exposed from any transport covering.

Transport lashing lugs in all product lines shall be painted using colour RAL 3024 Luminous
Red and remain exposed from any transport covering.

External transport saddles, temporary transport frames and supports in all product lines shall
be painted using colour RAL 7012 Basalt Grey. After transport, these items are disposed of.

Erection orientation marks, erection match-marks, and transport lettering and marks shall be
painted using colour RAL 9010 Pure White on RAL 5005 Signal Blue surfaces and RAL
9005 Jet Black on RAL 9001 Cream surfaces.

For vessels with many external carbon steel components (structural members, doors, nozzles,
etc), both carbon steel and stainless steel external surfaces are to be primed and painted as
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defined above. Examples are extractors, extractor discharge hoppers, DTDCs and Mobiliser
crystallisers.

5.5 Paint Handling and Application

5.5.1 Paint handling

Storing shall be in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions. All paint containers shall be
clearly labeled. Label shall show name, number, expiration date, type of paint, lot or batch
number, colour and any instructions for mixing and/or reducing. All paint containers shall
remain closed until required for use.

Thinning, mixing, handling and application of paint materials shall be carried out as per
manufacturer’s instructions. Colours shall be factory mixed and correspond to the applicable
designations.

Pigmented and catalysed materials shall be thoroughly mixed before being applied. Each
component of multi-component materials shall be thoroughly mixed prior to being combined
and mixed as a unit. Continuous agitation type spray pots shall be used when applying metal
pigmented coatings (i.e. zinc, aluminium, etc). Manufacturer’s pot-life requirements shall be
strictly adhered to.

As paint materials and released solvent vapours are potentially harmful, workshop shall be
fully aware of safety and environmental requirements for painting equipment. Workshop will
also take all precautions to protect the working personnel and follow all local and national
health, safety and environmental regulations.

The disposal of waste and empty containers shall be subject to regulations. Empty and/or
partially empty containers shall be collected and disposed of in accordance with the regulations.

5.5.2 Paint application

Paint shall be applied to dry, clean, prepared surfaces and under favourable conditions in
accordance with manufacturer’s instructions. Unless otherwise accepted in manufacturer’s
technical data sheets, coating application shall be done when:
- the ambient temperature is above 4°C and below 38°C;
- the relative humidity is less than 85%;
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- the surface temperature is 3°C above the dew point.

Cleaned surfaces shall be primed before occurrence of any trace of moisture or visible rust. If
visible re-rusting occurs then the metal surfaces shall be cleaned and where necessary washed
to remove rust and accumulation of soluble salts.

Surfaces shall be cleaned free from dust and abrasive particles before priming. However, no
acid washes, other cleaning solutions or solvents shall be used on the surfaces after they have
been cleaned. Care shall be taken to keep surfaces free from contamination such as dirt, dust,
grease, weld slag and foreign material.

Each vessel joint shall be masked off 50 mm from each edge which is to be site welded, so that
the area remains bare prior to site installation. It shall be the fabricator’s responsibility to see
that all masking material is thoroughly removed from the equipment and any damage to the
coated surface is repaired prior to shipment.

Generally, all shop coatings shall be spray applied. Brush or roller will be used for touch-up
and for areas inaccessible by spray gun. Material and air pressure on the spray guns shall be
regulated to achieve optimum atomization of the paint with the lowest possible pressures to
avoid spray ricochet from the surface being painted. Spray guns shall be held perpendicular to
the surface being coated at a maximum distance of 300 mm from the surface. Effective moisture
and oil traps shall be used in compressed air lines.

All coatings shall be uniformly applied without runs, sags, solvent blisters, dry spray,
overspray, embedded particles or other blemishes. All blemishes and other irregularities shall
be repaired or removed and the area recoated.

Attention should be paid to weld lines, nuts/bolts, corners, edges, etc, to obtain the required
nominal thickness.

A uniform spray application on large surfaces shall be obtained by crossing overlapping spray
passes, vertical passes overlapping horizontal passes by min. 50 mm.

Inter-coat contamination shall be minimized by maintaining proper cleanliness and by applying

succeeding coats within the time period recommended by the paint manufacturer. If
contaminants are present, they should be removed before applying succeeding coats.

If subsequent coats of primer have to be applied to achieve the required nominal thickness,
sufficient time interval has to be respected as per manufacturer’s recommendations.
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If the primer, intermediate or topcoats are damaged by welding or physical abuse, the area shall
be touched-up and repaired. The surface preparation shall achieve Sa2 equivalent cleanness
and all damaged coating and other surface contamination shall be removed to base metal prior
to apply primer and coating.

6 Stainless steel surface protection

All internal and external stainless steel surfaces shall go through a chemical cleaning (pickling)
and passivation process after fabrication. Even the most adapted stainless steel can corrode in
service if there is contamination of the surface.

It is of the highest importance to avoid contamination of stainless steel by carbon steel particles
during manufacturing in order to avoid corrosion even after pickling and passivation.

Both pickling and passivation are acid treatments applied to the surface of stainless steel to
remove contaminants and assist the formation of a continuous chromium-oxide passive film.
Pickling and passivation will neither remove grease or oil. So, if the fabrication is dirty, it may
be necessary to use a detergent or alkaline clean before treatment.

Before any treatment, machined surfaces are first to be protected by a varnish. Nozzles and
openings are to be closed by plastic plugs.

For vessels being primarily made of stainless steel with minor carbon steel components
(stiffening rings, lifting trunnions, flanges, etc), only parts in carbon steel are to be painted.
Examples are deodorisers, bleachers, evaporators, condensers, etc. Special protection measures
are to be taken to cover the painted carbon steel surfaces when performing the pickling and
passivation steps on the stainless steel surfaces, and the pickled and passivated stainless steel
surfaces when performing the final painting of the carbon steel surfaces.

Both pickling and passivation solutions can employ dangerous acids that can damage both the
operator and the environment if not handled correctly. Normal precautions for safety should be
followed. Pickling and passivation shall be done by skilled technicians.

The effectiveness of pickling depends on the following factors:

• The surface. This must be free of organic contamination;
• The temperature. The effectiveness of the acids increases strongly with temperature.
This means, for example, that the pickling rate can be increased considerably by
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increasing the temperature. There are, however, upper temperature limits that must also
be considered.
• The composition and concentration of the acid mixture.
• The steel grade. Highly alloyed grades need a more aggressive acid mixture and/or
higher temperature in order to avoid an excessively long pickling time.
• The thickness and type of the oxide layer. This depends largely on the welding
procedure used. Welding using an effective shielding gas will produce a minimum of
weld oxides. Such a gas should be as free of oxygen as possible.
• The surface finish. A rough hot rolled surface may be harder to pickle than a smooth
cold rolled surface.

Pickling products can be applied by:

• brushing, using a pickling paste/gel;
• spraying, using a pickling solution; or
• immersion in a pickling bath.

Pickling/passivation time should consider above points and follow manufacturer specifications.
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7 Inspection and quality control

The workshop is solely responsible for all quality control activities in accordance with the
specifications defined in Table 1 below.

Item Method Frequency Criteria

Cleanliness Visual All surfaces Comparison with standard
preparation
Surface

(Removal of rust and photograph in ISO 8501-1

harmful materials)
Surface roughness Visual All surfaces Comparison with standard
photograph in ISO 8501-1

Kind of paint material Check by label indication All

Condition of paint Visual or mixing by stirrer Spot (min 20%) The following shall not
Paint material

material happen to a large degree:

- gel
- skinning
- high viscosity
- sedimentation
Term of validity Check by label indication All Within the term of validity
Dry film thickness By dry film thickness gauge Spot See notes d and e
thickness

See notes a, b, c
Film

Color difference Visual All surface There is not a remarkable

Mottling difference between color
Flashing specimen and actual paint
Appearance

Sagging film
Blistering
Flaking
Sticking
foreign matter
Adhesion See note f Spot (min 3) See note g

Table 1: Inspection program for carbon steel painting

Notes:
a) The dry film thickness shall be measured for each coat (primer and finishing coat) after
the paint film is completely dry or cured.
b) Frequency of spots per equipment:1 spot/m² (but 3 spots minimum)
c) A minimum of 3 gauge readings shall be made for each spot measurement. The average
of the gauge readings will be taken as the spot measurement.
d) The average of the spot measurements shall not be less than the minimum thickness
specified herein.
e) No single spot shall be less than 80% of the specified minimum thickness.
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f) The average of the spot measurements shall not exceed the manufacturer recommended
maximum thickness and prove detrimental, i.e. wrinkling, mud cracking, general
softness etc to both the coatings and/or total system.
g) Peel off test method, after finish painting, is carried out as follows
a. After proper drying of painted surface, cut right hand lattice pattern at the spot
places. Number of cuts shall be min. 6 in both directions with a spacing of 2
mm. Blade used for cutting shall be min. 2 mm thick, having a cutting angle of
20° and cutting edge of 0.05 mm. All cuts shall penetrate substrate surface.
b. Apply transparent, pressure sensitive adhesive tape of 25 mm wide on the lattice
pattern. To ensure good contact rub the tape firmly with the tip of finger.
c. Within 5 minutes of applying tape, remove the tape by grasping the free end and
pulling it steadily.
d. Carefully examine the cut area of the coating in good light. Use magnifying lens
if required.
h) Detachment of small flakes of the coating at the inter section of lattice pattern shall not
exceed more than 5% of total n° of flakes in the test area.

Inspection program for carbon steel surfaces should be followed to reflect status of required
examinations and tests, and provide assurance that the specification requirements are
accomplished.

For stainless steel surfaces, attention will be stressed on residual weld oxides, rough surfaces,
uneven finish (shading), discoloration and water stains. Appreciation of good surface finish is
left to Desmet Ballestra quality inspector.

Desmet Ballestra reserves the right to inspect or ask the workshop to inspect, among other, the
following points to check compliance with the specifications:
- abrasives;
- compressed air (i.e. moisture, oil, pressure);
- method of surface preparation;
- surface cleanliness;
- surface profile;
- exposure of cleaned surface to environment;
- storage, mixing, thinning and application of coatings;
- coatings dry film thickness;
- recoating time;
- coating imperfections;
- touch-up of damaged areas.

All instruments used for quality control shall be maintained and calibrated on a regular
schedule as prescribed by the workshop.
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If during inspections, defects or not conformities to the requirements are ascertained, the
workshop shall, at his own care and expense, bring back the faulty surfaces to within
specification.

Inspection, approval or comments by the Desmet Ballestra’s inspector, shall not relieve the
workshop of his responsibility.

8 Installed Equipment Surface Protection Considerations at

Seaside
Salty seaside air is much more corrosive compared to mid-continental air and can deteriorate
the metal, paint and finishes if the equipment is not properly installed and maintained. The
surface protection of the equipment provided by Desmet Ballestra is adequate for installation
of the equipment at seaside. It is plant ‘s responsibility to maintain the equipment as per
following recommendations:

• Cool/warm stainless steel surfaces exposed to sea air turn tan coloured which is not a
structural integrity issue, but rather a surface discoloration known as “tea staining”. No
special actions must be taken in that case.
• Hot stainless steel surfaces exposed to sea air are subject to chloride stress corrosion.
Hot surfaces should be insulated for personal protection and heat conservation, which
eliminates the concern.
• Exposed, unpainted carbon steel surfaces corrode (rust) aggressively with sea air
regardless of temperature, but faster with higher temperature. Paint is the protective
barrier between the carbon steel and sea air. As long as the equipment arrives painted,
and remains painted, the corrosion is controlled. Scrapes in the paint cause heavy
corrosion at the scrape, which then causes the neighbouring paint to peel, which then
allows the corrosion to propagate. In such cases, the area needs sandblasted to below
the corrosion, primed and painted again. Carbon steel surfaces exposed to seal air
should be repainted every 3-4 years.
• Aluminium insulation jacketing is subject to sea air corrosion and pitting, and once the
insulation cover is penetrated, the salt air saturates the insulation and severely corrodes
the carbon steel surface behind. Stainless steel insulation jacketing is to be avoided due
to corrosion stress cracking. PVC is generally recommended for seaside, but it is
flammable and cannot be used in some classified locations. Aluminium remains the
best choice but requires washing down with water several times per year to wash away
chloride deposits.
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9 Guarantees
Workshop applying primer and paint shall guarantee a Rusting Degree type Ri 3 for 3 years
from work completion at shop according to ISO 4628/3: Assessment of degree of rusting (see
Section 3).

If during the above-mentioned period, painting defects are ascertained, the worskhop shall, at
his own care and expense, bring back the faulty surfaces to the acceptability degree.

Mechanical damage such as transport or erection scratches occurring after provisional

acceptance is excluded from the guarantee.

Slight fading of color, chalking, loss or breakdown attributed to abnormal operational

temperatures shall be excluded from the guarantee.

Slight fading of color, chalking, loss or breakdown attributed to lack of maintenance shall be
excluded from the guarantee.