Flash Rusting Acceptability for Ship Coating

Objective:

Presently a large number of shipyards utilize ultra-high pressure water jetting to prepare steel for painting.  One drawback to this process is the occurrence of “flash rust” on the surface after cleaning. Such flash rust has historically required subsequent removal with traditional “dry” surface preparation methods. This added process can eliminate much of the savings recognized by using ultra-high pressure water jetting for surface preparation. This effort sought to reduce the cost of shipbuilding and ship repair by improving the definition of “acceptable” levels of flash rusting for adequate marine coating performance. This project improved the use of ultra-high pressure water jetting surface preparation in shipyards by reducing the impact of flash rust concerns. The team also investigated inconsistent application of flash rusting standards and developed guidance and recommendations for the industry.

Key Deliverables:

Final Report – Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited