Paint film defects and failures guide

Frosio course hand-out: Section 13 Paint film defects
Paint Problems & Failures
Frosio 13 Paint film defects slide # 1
Most common paint failures
Holidays, too low DFT Bloom and blush

Sags and runs Osmotic blistering
Orange peel Pinpoint rust penetration
Dry spraying Checking/cracking
Pinholes Alligatoring/crocodiling
Popping Mud cracking
Fish-eyes Delamination
Lifting Chalking
Sweating and Bleeding
carbonisation Formation of vacuholes
1
Holidays
Appearance
Primer/undercoat shining through
topcoat
Caused by
Uneven film thickness of the last
applied coat
Repair
Apply another coat
Non - Systematic Spraying
Unskilled personnel
Non systematic
spraying of a large
surface
Several holidays Helligdag
Uneven spraying Rd maling
and paint film
thickness 0589 - 54
2
Sags and runs

Appearance
Paint running or hanging like curtains on vertical
surfaces
Caused by
Too high Wet film thickness
Too much thinner added to the paint
Airless spray gun too close to surface
Repair
Avoid above
Use paint brush to smoothen or remove excessive paint
Sags / Runs
Paint applied in too heavy

coats
May be caused by: Rdt sig

Wrong application
technique (Overlapping) 2-21
Too short recoating interval
Too high wet film thickness
Too much thinner added to
the paint
Airless spray too close to
the surface
3
Runs inside a Tank (1 of 3)
Inside a tank
Heavy runs/sags
Paint collects at
the weld/corner,
forming a very
thick paint film
Has to be
removed, or the
paint will brake up
and cause
corrosion
Runs leading to Cracking of Paint (2 of 3)
Inside a tank
Paint has
collected in the
corner
Several mm
thick paint
The paint
cracked,
corrosion will
develop
4
Flaking of Paint. Corrosion (3 of 3)
The paint has been

applied too thick
The film cracks and
breaks up.
Corrosion has
developed on the
steel after a short
period of time
Tykk ls maling, hjrne
Too thick film is just as 4-5

damaging as too thin
Orange peel
Appearance Paint surface is rough, like an orange peel
Caused by Poor flow / levelling properties of the paint

(Paint too thick or too low temperature)
Poor atomisation of the paint
Too fast evaporation of the thinner
Repair Improve application technique

Use correct thinner
Grind surface and apply new paint
5
Orange Peel
Paint surface is rough, like an orange peel
Caused by:
Poor flow / levelling properties of the
paint
(Paint too thick or too low temperature)
Poor atomisation of the paint
Too fast evaporation of the thinner
Repair:
Improve application technique
Use correct thinner
Grind surface and apply new paint
Dry spray
Appearance Porous, sandpaper like surface of the paint
Caused by Poor atomisation of the paint

Spray gun too far away from the object
High air temperature and low relative humidity:
Too fast evaporation of the solvents
Strong wind during application
Repair Inorganic Zinc: Re-blast and apply new paint

Physically drying paints: Apply thinner on the
painted surface and apply a new coat
Oxidativly drying paints: Remove loose dust and
apply topcoat
Two-pack paints: Remove loose dust, sandpaper
to smooth surface, apply topcoat
6
Dry spraying. Three pipes
Application of a white paint

in a paint shop
During painting of the
lowest pipe, dry spraying of
the two upper pipes has
occurred.
Their surface look like a
sandpaper
Wrong spray technique
Plan the work thoroughly to
avoid over-spraying
(Shielding)
Too high pump pressures
increase the dry-spraying
Dry Spraying
Application in a paint shop

Dry spraying of a
construction. The smooth
finish of a newly applied paint
will be destroyed.
Wrong spray technique
Too good ventilation
Too high temperature Nrbilde, rdt
Plan the work thoroughly to
avoid over-spraying 4226-58
Too high pump pressures
increase the dry-spraying
7
Close Up Roughness (1 of 3)
Application of paint on
side bottom of ship
Wrong application
technique:
Too long distance
Wrong angle
Dry spraying Nrbilde ruhet
Roughness increases 0589 - 56
Macro Photo Dry Spray (2 of 3)
Application of paint on side

bottom of ship
Wrong application technique:
Too long distance
Wrong angle Macro dry spray
Dry spraying 0589 - 57
Close up of surface.
Magnified 8-10 X
8
Microscope Cross Section of Film (3 of 3)

bottom of ship
Too long distance
Wrong angle
Dry spraying
Photo shows dry sprayed Snitt
topcoat: dryspray
Very rough surface
0589 - 58
Very porous paint film
Entrapped air
Pinholes
Appearance
Tiny holes through one or more coats, or even down to
the substrate, as if perforated by a needle
Caused by
Dry spraying
Entrapped solvents or air
Porosity of previous coat
Incorrect application technique or viscosity of the paint
Repair
Grind top layer of the paint
Recoat
9
Pinholes forming at application

on a porous substrate
Porous substrates: Sink
silicate, concrete, cast iron
Air from the porous substrate
will seek to escape from the
substrate through the paint
film.
Pinholes will be formed in the
film
The process will proceed when
the subsequent coat is applied
Light grinding will fill the pores
Use: Tie-coat, mist-coat,
solvent coat Paint technology: Pinhole1
Pin holes can be caused by a number of

reasons, or a combination of them
Too heavy coats
applied
Entrapped air
High temperature
Applying paint on a
porous substrate
(Such as Zinc silicate)
Poor application
technique. (Too short Cd-4934-67
distance or too high
pressure)
Too strong ventilation
10
Pinholes
Close-up
Popping
Appearance Solvents or air try to evaporate through the upper

part of the film, which has already nearly dried,
leaving small bubbles /craters on the surface
Very porous substrate (e.g. Zinc silicate primer)
Caused by
Entrapped solvents or air in the paint film
Usually in connection with too high film thickness,
too long application distance or too strong
ventilation.
Reduce film thickness or ventilation and adjust

Repair application technique (Tie coat / mist coat
technique.
Remove paint on painted surfaces and repaint
11
Hot substrate
Hot substrate may

cause solvents to
boil off too quickly
May cause pinholes and popping
Popping
Tiny
blisters
and
craters
0807-4
12
Fisheyes
Appearance
Spots of paint on the surface with no wetting of
the surface around the spots. Appearance of a
fisheye.
Caused by
Paint applied on oil, silicone or other
contaminants
Painted on incompatible paint (Glossy paint
giving poor wetting)
Repair
Recoat
Fisheyes
Silicon Evaporation of solvents Wet

topcoat
Primer
Fisheye Blasted
steel
13
Lifting
Appearance
Small wrinkles through the paint film
Caused by
Softening and raising or swelling of a previous
coat by the application of an additional coat
Normally when overcoating Alkyd
Lifting often caused because the solvents in the
new coat is too strong for the previous coat
Repair
Remove the paint
Recoat
Lifting / Wrinkling
1. Coat: Conventional paint

(white spirit as solvent)
2. Coat: Advanced paint
(Xylene as solvent)
The strong solvents will
resolve the relatively fresh
conventional paint.
May also occur if Alkyd paint
is applied too thick.The paint Bjelke, lys
will Skin dry, (wrinkling)
particularly at high 2 - 39
temperature differences
between steel and air
14
Sweating & carbonisation

(Amine blooming)
Appearance
Tacky and sweating film, often with white stains
Caused by
High humidity, particularly on Epoxies during curing
Poor ventilation
The Amines react with CO2 and humidity and form
Amine carbamate.
Too low temperature
Repair
Wash with warm water or thinner, using rags
Preventive measure: Induction time before application
start
Amine blooming - Sweating
Steel painted with Epoxy

Tacky surface
Tacky surface
C22/2-17 with white C22/2-19
stains
Tacky, shining surface
15
Bloom & blush

(Blushing)
Appearance
Surface looks milky
Caused by
Condensation on cold steel surfaces at high humidity
Air pollution, sulphur dioxide (SO2) and ammonia
forming ammonium sulphate on the paint film.
Fast thinners
Repair
Recoat
Blushing
Bloom / Blush
Antifouling and top coat exposed to high humidity
4226-0066
0807-47
16
Osmotic blistering
Appearance
Smaller or bigger blisters in the paint film
Caused by
Salt and other water soluble contamination
on the metal surface or between coats
Repair
Remove existing system
Fresh water clean
Apply new paint system
Blisters Close to Weld

Blisters forming at the
area close to the weld
Most probably due to
welding smoke remaining Rd blring sveis
on the the steel
Welding smoke is 1-57
resoluble in water and
will create osmotic
blistering
Galvanic difference
between steel plate and
weld may aggravate the
attack
17
Skin-drying
Blisters caused by solvent-entrapment
Blistering
Blisters inside a tank

Blisters sometimes contain
water
As long as the blister are
intact no rust will be formed
inside. This is due to the high
pH
As soon as the blisters break
corrosion will start
6 - 74
Use cathodic protection to
back up the paint system.
18
Pinpoint rust penetration

Appearance
Points of rust
Caused by
Small pores (pinholes), openings or
defects in the paint film down to bare
steel
Holidays due to overspray, dry spraying
etc.
Too high substrate roughness
Repair
Grind down to bare steel
Recoat
Corrosion. Too Thin Paint Film
Corrosion of steel
on a flat area.
Mler filmtykkelse
Paint film is too
low. This is Rep. for tynt pfrt p en
verified by film flekk
thickness
Rust gjennomslag
measurements
19
Checking / cracking
Appearance
From fine cracks in the topcoat to more
severe cracks down to the substrate.
Caused by
Stress in the paint film
Entrapment of solvent
Too soft primer compared to the softness of
the topcoat
Too high thickness
Repair
Abrade to remove cracked paint
Apply new suitable coating system
Cracking / Flaking
Mechanical stress in
steel
Old, thick paint not
sufficiently flexible to
follow the steel
movements
Most frequently
observed on paints Crack nrbilde
that becomes hard,
2 - 32
such as Alkyds
20
Cracking & Flaking
Flaking of Tar Epoxy
Tar Epoxy system

Flaking down to
shopprimer
Flaking due to poor
pre-treatment
Remains of oil
Flak spant
found underneath
the paint 0590 - 39
21
Flaking of Alkyd on Zinc
1. Coat: Zinc rich

coatings
2. Coat: Alkyd
Never use Alkyd on

top of Zinc
Gjerde flaker
Alkyd on Zinc will 1-8
give saponification
Alligatoring / crocodiling
Appearance
Very large cracks (looks like the skin of an
alligator) that may penetrate down to the
substrate
Caused by
Too soft primer compared to the softness of
the topcoat
Limited flexibility in the paint film
Too fast drying of the topcoat
Repair
Depending upon extent, abrade or remove
all affected coats
Apply new suitable paint system
22
Cracking / alligatoring
1. Coat: Soft
type of paint
2. Coat: Hard
type of paint
E.g.: Vinyl Tar on
antifouling Rd/sort crack
4226-46
Mud-cracking
Appearance
Cracks occurring during the drying process
of the paint
Appearance of the surface of cracked mud
Caused by
Particularly for inorganic Zinc applied at a
too high film thickness
Repair
Re-blast to Sa 2 or grind off
Apply the inorganic Zinc
23
Mud Cracking
Mud cracking on a
Zinc silicate paint
This is a fast
drying paints ?
Has been applied
Mye cracks
in a too high film
thickness Gr
Delamination (Adhesion failure)
Appearance
Loss of adhesion:
Intercoat delamination: Between coats
Substrate delamination : Between primer and
substrate
Caused by
Primer not compatible with subsequent coat
Contamination of substrate or between coats
Recoating interval too long
Blooming / sweating
Repair
Remove loose paint layer or down to substrate
Recoat
24
Flaking. Too long Recoating Interval
Flaking of Epoxy
Poor adhesion
between coats
Too long recoating
interval
Check the maximum Flaking alu.mal.
recoating interval:
Technical data Sheet 0590 - 38
Chalking
Appearance Almost like dust on top of the coat

The gloss will be reduced
Pigments and extenders exposed on the

Caused by paint surface, due to
Exposure to sun / UV light
Degradation of the binder
Weathering of the paint
Insufficient mixing of the paint
Grind and/or wash top layer of the paint

Repair
Recoat
25
Chalking
Promoted by UV-light
Causes loss of gloss
Darker colours appear to fade
Light colours will be self-cleaning
May happen to all types of paint to a

greater or lesser degree. Paints
based on epoxy binder are worst
affected.
Bleeding
Appearance Discolouration of a paint, particularly in
topcoats
Caused by Coloured ingredients in a previous coat
or on the substrate is dissolved by
solvents in the subsequent coat, e.g.
Soluble pigments (Poor solvent
resistance)
Tar, Bitumen, etc.
Repair Surface contaminants (coloured)
Re-blasting and re-application
Note: Bleeding may continue through
additional coats unless source is removed
26
Bleeding
Tar epoxy bleeding through yellow vinyl coat
Formation of vacuoles
Appearance
A weakness in the paint system that, in most cases, is
not visible to the naked aye. When a cut is made with a
scalpel at 45 degrees, a porous moon landscape is
seen in the paint film
Caused by
Very high thixotrophy in the paint film
Bad levelling properties
Fare to high film thickness of the coats
Repair
Remove old paint system
Apply new suitable paint system
27
C.R. primer applied to the correct

thickness. (1 of 2)
Photo from inside of the paint film
Magnification: 8 - 10 X
Specified thickness:
60 m
Result:
Sound paint film
Cd-4934-46
C.R. primer not applied to the correct

thickness. (2 of 2)
Too thick paint film: Photo from inside of the paint film
120 m
Result:
Entrapped air
Entrapped solvents
Porous film
Blisters and Cd-4934-0047
delamination will
occur in future
28
Close up of tank coating system.

Too thick intermediate coat
Entrapped air/solvent
Very porous film
Inspection showed
poor cohesion in the
paint.
Delamination and
blistering can be Cd-4934-48
expected in the future
Paint applied according to the specification.

Close up of paint film (1 of 2)
Perfect paint system:
Correct thickness:
Primer, Intermediate coat and Topcoat
Topcoat 50 - 60 m
Cd-4934-49
29
Paint not applied according to the specification.

Close up of paint film (2 of 2)
Specification : 50
m
Thickness of
topcoat: 100 - 150
m
Result:
Entrapped air
Entrapped solvents
Cd-4934-50
Porous film
Blisters and
delamination will
occur in future
Cross-section of flake containing voids
30
Solvent blistering
Some times paints

are applied to a too
high thickness
Solvents may be
entrapped
Blistering will result
during exposure
Paint technology \ Solvents_blistering
31
Stripe coating:
Poor workmanship
Stripe coating applied too thin
Several holidays
Runs
Cd-4934-95
Poor workmanship:
Stripe coated welding seam
Many holidays
The paint must be worked properly into the rough
substrate using several strokes with the paint brush.
Cd-4934-97
32
Shopprimed steel. Insufficient stripe coating

prior to first full coat
Stripe coating of a
corner in a tank
Weld has been blasted
Uneven film partly
with sags, partly too Cd-4934-98
thin
Holidays in rough weld
Poor steelwork
Corrosion on Sharp Edge and

Spot Welds
Early corrosion on sharp edge
and on discontinuous welds
Paint has newly been applied
Exposed to wind and weather
for approximately 2 weeks
33
Corrosion of Welds in a Water Ballast

Tank
Premature rust on
welds
Rough weld seams.
Should have been
ground
Probably in
combination with poor Tank, rust, sveis
stripe coating
(Mud can be seen, 0590 - 29
particularly on the
bottom) 4226 - 54
Severe Corrosion
Corrosion due to a
combination of
Sharp edges
Rough welds (not Tank hjrne, notcher
ground) Tykk rust
Missing stripe Kanter
coating 4 - 49
34
Airless spraying.
Unsystematic application
Unsystematic application will
give uneven film thickness
Too low thickness:
Inferior protection
Too thick paint film:
Entrapped solvents
Make sure to use a correct
overlapping between the passes
An overlapping of approximately
Application: Spray_technique2
50 % gives a uniform film
thickness
Unskilled personnel.
Non - systematic spraying of bullwark
Several holidays
Uneven spraying and paint film thickness
Stripe coating is missing
Cd-4934-39
35
Antifouling has polished

down to the black primer
Reason:
The ship may have been in service too long
Too little A/F has been applied
Uneven film thickness has been applied.
Cd-4934-85
Incorrect use of airless spray

equipment will result in:
A rough surface
Too much paint dust
Pinholes in the paint film
Entrapped air
Entrapped solvents
Too high paint
consumption
36
Poor application technique serves

nobody
Contamination
of the
environment
High loss
factor
Poor corrosion
protection Cd-4934-74
Waste of
money
Spot-blasting and
poor application technique.
Direction of application
Loose paint edges
Application has
been done in only
one direction
Corrosion has
developed on Cd-4930-83
shadow sides
shortly after
application
37
Poor pre-treatment and application

technique
Premature rust on sharp

edges, Weld seams and
Weld beads
These areas should have
been grinded
Also: Spraying only in one
direction: Creates
shadows and inferior
Cd-4930-74
coating thickness
No stripe coating carried
out
Insufficient Cleaning prior to

Painting
Welding of new parts

Hvitt rom
on areas already
painted 0589 - 28
Insufficient pre-
treatment of welds and
removal of weld smoke
Weld smoke will result
in osmotic blistering
Better planning of the
work is required
38
Poor Cleaning Prior to Painting
Small steel units welded

on to a deck
Alu. maling
construction
Welding seams has been 0589 - 27
wire brushed
Welding smoke and
other contaminants
have not been removed
prior to application of
the paint
Welding smoke will
result in osmotic
blistering
Ship going from warm to cold areas.

Flaking due to temperature variations
Old, thick paint on superstructure
Large temperature variations
Cd-4934-59
39
Surface applied by roller.

One coat may not be sufficient
Two or three
coats
applied by
roller may be
required to
obtain the
Cd-4934-55
same film
thickness as
one coat
applied by
spray
Corrosion on Superstructure
Intersection point
between the steel
structure and the
rubber packing is a
difficult area to paint
If not painted well
premature rust Vinduer
develop 4226 - 39
Bad construction
0590 - 43
Bad stripe coating
40
Loose Edges from Spot-blasting
Spot-blasting has been

carried out some time
ago
Edges has not been
feathered prior to
application of the paint
The edges are weak
points in the paint film
0589 - 72
Corrosion attack
initiates on such areas
Corrosion Due to Recoil from Blast-cleaning
Blast-cleaning has
been carried out on
the opposite side.
Recoil of grit has
damaged the intact
paint
This is easily done,
but difficult to see Blseskade
during inspection
0590 - 09
Corrosion develops
after a short period of
time
41
Back Burning
Paint has been destroyed
by hot work on the reverse
side
Back burning has occurred
Bad planning of the work
Remedial actions:
Remove destroyed paint and
apply new paint, according to
the paint specification
Repairs will always give a
reduced quality of the paint 4226 - 41
system
Scaffolding - A Source of
Contamination
Scaffoldings must
be completely
cleaned from grit
before application of
the paint
Grit may blow or fall
into the wet paint
and give a rough 0589 - 19
surface and, at a
later stage, initiation Stilling gritt
of corrosion
42
Grit in Paint Film

Grit has contaminated
the paint film
Scaffoldings have not
been cleaned well
The surface is not
acceptable
0589 - 20
Weak points in the film
will lead to early Rd maling gritt
corrosion
The adhesion is reduced
Overpainting Grit or Foreign Matters
Surface has
not been well
cleaned
Weak point in
paint film
Entrapped air
Less adhesion 0589 - 17
Corrosion will Illustr. grot
develop rapidly
43
Scuppers
Spot Welds after Painting
Paint is unable to fill gap

between the parts
welded together
These area may be
susceptible to corrosion
Not recommended for
exposure to severe / Punktsveis, nr
aggressive environments
malt rdt
44
No paint under pipe clamp
Spraying with a Too Long Lance
Application from fixed

scaffolding
Too long spraying lance.
Difficult to handle
Applicator too close to the
structure, makes it difficult
to keep a constant
distance and a correct
angle to the substrate Spryter, lang lanse
Bad result 9 - 54
Uneven film thickness
45
Spray Application

bottom of ship
Bad scaffoldings
Too long distance
Wrong angle
Dry spraying
Spryter, lang avstand
This results in a very poor 0589 - 55
paint film: Rough, pinholes,
entrapped air.
Spraying of a Ships Bottom
Very poor application

technique
Too long distance
Dry spraying
Uneven film thickness
Running water along
side of the ship while
painting Spryting bunn
(Scupper plug missing) 0589 - 53
46
Wrong Spraying Technique
Wrong spraying Technique

Too long distance
Wrong angle
Dry spraying
Pinholes
Entrapped air
Too high paint
consumption Spryting T/S
0589 - 48
This results in a very poor
paint film.
Poor Application Technique

Poor application technique serves nobody
Contamination of
the environment
High loss factor
Poor corrosion
protection
Waste of money
47
Dry-spraying of Topcoat on Antifouling
Top side has been painted after

application of the antifouling
The topside paint contaminates
the antifouling. This will spoil the
effect of the antifouling
You will always have some dry-
spray. This will increase with
strong winds and wrong
application technique Bltt stv p A/F
Finish the T/S before applying
the A/F 2 - 37
Spraying From Basket / Crane
If the movement of the

basket is not controlled,
mechanical damages may
occur
Use for example ropes to
keep the basket steady
Use fenders to prevent
damages to the paint
from protruding corners
& edges
Lang kurv S/B mekanisk skade
Mechanical damage
shown on photo
48
Lack of pre-
treatment on
galvanised steel
49

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Paint film defects and failures guide

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Frosio course hand-out: Section 13 Paint film defects

Paint Problems & Failures

Frosio 13 Paint film defects slide # 1

Most common paint failures

Holidays, too low DFT Bloom and blush

Frosio 13 Paint film defects slide # 2

Frosio 13 Paint film defects slide # 3

Non - Systematic Spraying

Frosio 13 Paint film defects slide # 4

Sags and runs

Frosio 13 Paint film defects slide # 5

Paint applied in too heavy

May be caused by: Rdt sig

Frosio 13 Paint film defects slide # 6

Runs inside a Tank (1 of 3)

Frosio 13 Paint film defects slide # 7

Runs leading to Cracking of Paint (2 of 3)

Frosio 13 Paint film defects slide # 8

Flaking of Paint. Corrosion (3 of 3)

The paint has been

Too thick film is just as 4-5

Frosio 13 Paint film defects slide # 9

Caused by Poor flow / levelling properties of the paint

Repair Improve application technique

Frosio 13 Paint film defects slide # 10

Frosio 13 Paint film defects slide # 11

Appearance Porous, sandpaper like surface of the paint

Caused by Poor atomisation of the paint

Repair Inorganic Zinc: Re-blast and apply new paint

Frosio 13 Paint film defects slide # 12

Dry spraying. Three pipes

Application of a white paint

Frosio 13 Paint film defects slide # 13

Application in a paint shop

Frosio 13 Paint film defects slide # 14

Frosio 13 Paint film defects slide # 15

Macro Photo Dry Spray (2 of 3)

Application of paint on side

Frosio 13 Paint film defects slide # 16

Microscope Cross Section of Film (3 of 3)

Application of paint on side

Frosio 13 Paint film defects slide # 17

Frosio 13 Paint film defects slide # 18

Pinholes forming at application

Frosio 13 Paint film defects slide # 19

Pin holes can be caused by a number of

Frosio 13 Paint film defects slide # 20

Frosio 13 Paint film defects slide # 21

Appearance Solvents or air try to evaporate through the upper

Reduce film thickness or ventilation and adjust

Frosio 13 Paint film defects slide # 22

Hot substrate may

May cause pinholes and popping

Frosio 13 Paint film defects slide # 23

Frosio 13 Paint film defects slide # 24

Frosio 13 Paint film defects slide # 25

Silicon Evaporation of solvents Wet

Frosio 13 Paint film defects slide # 26

Frosio 13 Paint film defects slide # 27

1. Coat: Conventional paint

Frosio 13 Paint film defects slide # 28

Sweating & carbonisation

Frosio 13 Paint film defects slide # 29