Prep Methods for Nonferrous, Wood, Concrete, and Polymeric Substrates

AMPP CIP Level 2 Certified Coatings Inspector

Track your progress as you read

Finished sections get a check mark.

1 Introduction & Exam Overview

CIP Level 2 Exam Facts and Format Prerequisites, Certification Path, and Renewal July 2026 Blueprint and Study Strategy

2 Safety

Process Safety: Equipment and Job-Site Hazards Safety Issues for Specialized Coatings and Prep Methods Environmental Safety Regulations and Regulatory Layers Containment, Waste, VOC, Silica, and Hexavalent Chromium

3 Inspection Planning

Evaluating and Applying Client Written Expectations Purpose and Cost Justification of Inspection Creating Inspection and Test Plans (ITPs) Supporting Job Specifications

4 Inspection Activities & Standards

De Facto, National, and International Standards CIP Level 2 Scope vs Level 1 Responsibilities Verifying Level 1 Work and Applying NACE/AMPP Standards

5 Corrosion Causes

Corrosion Types: General, Localized, Crevice, Flow-Assisted Corrosion Cell and Electrochemical Processes Galvanic Corrosion and Dissimilar Metals

6 Corrosion Effect & Control

Substrate Corrosion Rates, Influencing Factors, and Mitigation Cathodic Protection Systems and Effects on Coatings

7 Environmental Conditions & Inspection

Environmental Requirements and Inspection Concerns Humidity Effects on Corrosion Rates and Coating Risk Dehumidification Systems: Desiccant, Refrigerant, and Heaters Enclosures, Air Movement, and Advanced Environmental Instrumentation

8 Surface Preparation Methods

Prep Methods for Nonferrous, Wood, Concrete, and Polymeric Substrates Surface Contaminants and Acid Cleaning Pickling, Passivation, and Rinse Verification Waterjetting Methods and Removable Materials

9 Surface Prep Equipment & Standards

Concrete Surface Preparation and Standards Abrasive Types, Mixes, and Inspection Considerations Centrifugal Blast Cleaning and Portable/Remote Systems Waterjetting and Centrifugal Blast Standards AB-1/2/3 Media Standards and Special Substrates

10 Coating Application Equipment

Thermal, Electrostatic, and Polyester Spray Applications Plural-Component Systems and Specialty Coating Application Convertible vs Non-Convertible Curing and Polymerization

11 Specialty Coatings & Products

Powder Coatings and Specialized Coating Types Thick-Barrier Linings: Installation and Use Coal-Tar Enamel, Asphalt, and Tape Coatings Maintenance Coating Considerations

12 Pipeline Coatings & Hot-Dip Galvanizing

Hot-Dip Galvanizing Application Process Fusion-Bonded Epoxy (FBE) Pipeline Coating Multi-Layer Polyolefin (3LPE/3LPP) Pipeline Coatings Pipeline Field Joints and Mainline Repair Products Pipeline Coating Importance and Integrity Failure Consequences Concrete on Pipelines and Concrete Coating Standards Concrete Coating Requirements and Cure Verification

13 Coating Inspection: Assessing

Coating Surveys of Existing Systems Coating Defects, Failures, and Detection Criteria Differentiating Adhesion Testing Methods HDG Defects; Nonferrous and Concrete Coating Inspection

14 Coating Inspection: Verification

Instrument Inspections: Verification vs Calibration Concrete Coating Thickness and Destructive Tests Eddy Current and Ultrasonic DFT Methods Cathodic Disbondment and Specialized Lab Testing

15 Documentation

Level 1 Report Review and Failure Documentation for Level 3 Documenting Specialty Coatings and Developing Reports Electronic Reporting, Data Storage, and Retention Maintenance Coating Surveys and Standards Bodies Product Data Sheets and Hot-Dip Galvanizing Standards

16 Communications & Teamwork

Certified Inspector Role and CIP Level 2 Limits Owner, Contractor, and Inspector Responsibilities Pre-Job Conference and Coating Condition Assessment Surveyor Defensive Behavior and Conflict Resolution Communication

17 Ethics

Attestation and Ethics of the AMPP-Certified Inspector Addressing and Analyzing Ethical Dilemmas Positive Suggestions That Improve Job Flow and Quality

Prep Methods for Nonferrous, Wood, Concrete, and Polymeric Substrates

Key Takeaways Explain This Topic AI

Carbon-steel blast cleanliness grades (e.g., Sa 2, Sa 2½, SP 10) do not transfer directly to aluminum, stainless, copper alloys, wood, concrete, or polymers

Nonferrous metals need chloride-free, iron-free media and methods that avoid galvanic contamination and chloride attack of aluminum

Concrete prep focuses on laitance removal, sound substrate, profile for the coating system, and moisture—not steel white-metal appearance

Wood and polymeric substrates rely on cleaning, light abrasion or chemical etch, and solvent compatibility rather than heavy abrasive blast

CIP Level 2 inspectors verify substrate-specific methods against the specification and product data sheet, not a default steel SP grade

Last updated: August 2026

Prep Methods for Nonferrous, Wood, Concrete, and Polymeric Substrates

Quick Answer: CIP Level 2 Domain 5 requires prep methods for nonferrous alloys/metals, wood, concrete, and polymeric materials —not only carbon-steel abrasive-blast grades. Inspectors must know why Sa/SP steel cleanliness standards may not apply, what methods suit each substrate, and special cautions such as aluminum chloride attack and concrete laitance .

Most industrial coating training starts with carbon steel: dry abrasive blast to a defined cleanliness grade and angular profile, then coat. That model fails when the substrate is aluminum, stainless steel, copper alloy, wood, concrete, or a polymer. Applying “SP 10 / Sa 2½ by default” is a common Level 1 habit that Level 2 must correct.

Why Steel Blast Cleanliness Standards Often Do Not Apply

Carbon-steel visual standards (SSPC-SP / NACE / ISO 8501 Sa grades) describe rust, mill scale, and coating residue on ferrous metal . They assume:

• Iron oxides and mill scale are the primary contaminants of concern
• Heavy angular abrasive is acceptable
• A dark or near-white metal appearance after blast is the acceptance cue

Nonferrous metals do not form the same mill scale/rust suite. Over-blasting soft alloys damages dimensions and profile. Iron-containing abrasive or tools can embed ferrous particles that later rust and stain. Polymers and wood can be cut, burned, or melted by aggressive blast. Concrete is assessed by soundness, profile (often CSP), moisture, and contamination—not “white metal.”

Inspection rule: Read the specification and coating PDS for the substrate method. Do not force a steel Sa grade onto aluminum tank walls or epoxy-coated concrete floors unless the document explicitly invokes a comparable standard for that material.

Nonferrous Alloys and Metals

Nonferrous substrates common on CIP jobs include aluminum and aluminum alloys , stainless steels , copper and copper alloys (brass, bronze), zinc (including galvanized surfaces being prepared for paint), titanium , and specialty alloys. Goals of prep are similar—remove soils, oxides, and old coatings that block adhesion—but the tools and media change.

Typical methods for nonferrous metals

Method What it does When / cautions

Solvent / detergent cleaning Removes oils, greases, cutting fluids First step almost always; use chloride-free cleaners on aluminum when specified

Hand and power tool cleaning Wire brushes, non-metallic pads, grinders for light oxides and loose film Use stainless or non-ferrous tools on stainless/aluminum to avoid iron pickup

Light abrasive blast or sweep blast Opens profile or removes light oxide/coating with reduced pressure and soft media Glass bead, garnet, aluminum oxide, plastic media— not steel grit on aluminum/stainless unless specified and controlled

Chemical cleaning / deoxidizing Acid or alkaline cleaners remove oxide films Follow neutralization and rinse; chloride-bearing acids on aluminum are high-risk

Passivation (stainless) Restores chromium-rich passive film after fabrication/contamination Covered in depth with pickling in the next section

Waterjetting Removes loose coating, salts, and some corrosion products without embedding grit Does not create a new angular steel-type profile; may expose existing profile

Special caution: aluminum and chlorides

Aluminum is vulnerable to chloride contamination. Chlorides promote pitting under coatings and can leave residues that drive underfilm corrosion. Field practices Level 2 inspectors watch for:

Avoiding chloride-containing cleaners, rinse water of unknown quality, and marine spray left on the surface before coating

Avoiding copper- or iron-contaminated tools and media that create galvanic sites

Controlled abrasive selection: iron-free media, clean pots, dedicated hose trains when the specification requires no ferrous contamination

Recognizing white corrosion products and pitting as conditions that may need more than a wipe-down before coating

Galvanized (zinc) surfaces being painted often use sweep blast , chemical pretreatment, or specialized cleaners rather than full white-metal blast that strips protective zinc.

Stainless steel

Stainless prep emphasizes removing free iron , heat tint, weld scale, and organic soils without destroying the passive film permanently. Methods include non-ferrous tools, appropriate abrasives, pickling gels/pastes or immersion pickling in shop work, and passivation. Embedding carbon-steel grit or grinding with carbon-steel discs can cause rust staining that looks like coating failure later—document tool and media control when the ITP requires it.

Wood Substrates

Wood is organic, anisotropic, and moisture-sensitive. “Blast to Sa 2½” is almost never the correct model.

• Prep goals on wood
• Remove dirt, mildew, loose fibers, chalky old finishes, and extractives that bleed
• Open a surface that accepts primer without polishing the grain closed
• Control moisture content within the coating manufacturer’s and specification limits before painting
• Avoid deep gouging that raises fibers excessively or damages edges
• Common methods

• Method Notes for inspectors
• Dry brushing / vacuum Removes dust before coating; critical between sanding coats
• Washing (mild detergent, mildewcides as specified) Rinse thoroughly; allow full drying
• Sanding / mechanical abrasion Primary profile method; grit too fine can polish; too coarse raises wild grain
• Scraping of loose paint Hand/power tools for maintenance repaints
• Light media blast (e.g., soft media) Specialty use only; easy to damage softwoods
• Chemical strippers Residue and neutralization concerns similar to metals

Inspectors verify dryness (often with a moisture meter when specified), cleanliness, and that primer is applied within the open-time after sanding so dust and raised grain do not recontaminate the surface.

Concrete Substrates

Concrete coating success depends on mechanical and chemical surface condition , not steel cleanliness language.

Laitance — critical concept

Laitance is a weak, cement-rich, powdery layer that forms on the surface of fresh or poorly finished concrete as fine particles and water rise. Coating over laitance produces low adhesion and sheet delamination even when the film looks perfect. Prep must remove laitance until sound, dense concrete is exposed.

• Other concrete concerns
• Form-release oils, curing compounds, and sealers that block adhesion
• Contaminants: oils, greases, salts, previous coatings

Profile appropriate to the system (often described with ICRI CSP chips or equivalent project language)—smooth hard-troweled floors usually need more aggressive prep than broom finishes

Moisture and vapor emission (tests per specification: plastic sheet, calcium chloride, relative-humidity probes)

• Cracks, bug holes, and unsound concrete requiring repair before coating
• pH and residual cleaners after acid etching if that method is used
• Methods used on concrete

• Method Role
• Detergent / degreasing Oils and soils
• Scarifying, shot blasting, grinding, scarab/scarifier tools Remove laitance, open profile, strip coatings
• Abrasive blast (dry or wet) Profile and coating removal; dust/containment critical
• High-pressure water cleaning / waterjetting Contaminants, loose material; may not alone create heavy profile

Acid etching Opens light profile on some floors; must neutralize and rinse; limited use on dense or contaminated slabs

Shot blast / steel shot systems Common industrial floor prep for uniform CSP

CIP Level 2 inspection of concrete prep centers on: laitance gone, specified profile achieved, contaminants removed, moisture acceptable, repairs complete— not matching a steel Sa photo.

Polymeric Substrates

Polymeric materials include plastics, elastomers, fiberglass-reinforced plastic (FRP/GRP), rubber linings being overcoated, and existing organic coatings treated as substrates for maintenance systems. Adhesion is often limited by low surface energy, plasticizers, mold-release agents, and solvent sensitivity.

Typical prep approach

Identify the polymer family (PDS and owner data)—solvent that softens one plastic destroys another.

Clean with approved cleaners; remove silicone, wax, and mold release thoroughly.

Lightly abrade (scuff sand, non-woven pads, or controlled sweep) to degloss without cutting through thin walls.

Use chemical etch or adhesion promoters when the manufacturer requires them.

Apply primer/tie coat within the open window; dust from sanding must be removed.

Aggressive grit blast can cut FRP gelcoat, heat-soften plastics, or embed media. Waterjetting may remove chalk and loose topcoats but will not create a deep steel-like anchor pattern on a polymer.

Cross-Substrate Comparison Table

• Substrate Primary prep emphasis Steel Sa/SP grades apply? Special cautions
• Carbon steel Blast cleanliness + angular profile Yes (when specified) Salts, flash rust, profile height
• Aluminum / nonferrous Clean, deoxidize, iron-free media Usually no Chlorides, galvanic contamination
• Stainless Free iron, scale, passivation Limited / special Carbon-steel tool contamination
• Wood Clean, sand, moisture control No Raised grain, extractives, mildew
• Concrete Laitance removal, CSP/profile, moisture No Curing compounds, pH after etch
• Polymeric / FRP Clean, scuff, compatible chemistry No Solvent attack, mold release, low energy
• Inspector Workflow on Multi-Substrate Jobs

Confirm substrate identity on drawings and in the field (mixed-material equipment is common).

Locate the specified method and acceptance criteria for that substrate in the job spec and PDS.

Verify media, tools, and chemicals will not contaminate the alloy (iron-free on stainless/aluminum when required).

Hold points: after cleaning, after profile/abrasion, after rinse/dry, before primer.

Document method actually used; if the crew defaults to “blast like steel,” stop and escalate before coating proceeds on the wrong prep standard.

Exam Focus

Expect items that contrast steel blast grades with substrate-specific prep, ask why laitance must be removed on concrete, and test chloride / iron contamination risks on aluminum and stainless. Correct answers reference the substrate and specification—not a universal Sa 2½ rule.