ASTM D610-95

NOTICE: This standard has either been superseded and replaced by a new version or discontinued.
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Designation: D 610 – 95 Steel Structures Painting Council
SSPC-Vis-2
Standard Test Method for
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Evaluating Degree of Rusting on Painted Steel Surfaces
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D 610; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
This standard has been approved for use by agencies of the Department of Defense.
1. Scope determination of the degree of rusting difficult.
4.2.3 Certain types of deposited dirt that contain iron or iron
1.1 This test method covers the evaluation of the degree of
compounds may cause surface discoloration that should not be
rusting on painted steel surfaces using visual standards. These
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mistaken for corrosion.
visual standards were developed in cooperation with the Steel
4.2.4 Failure may vary over a given area and discretion must
Structures Painting Council (SSPC) to further standardization
therefore be used when selecting a single grade that is to be
of methods.
representative of a large area or structure.
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the
4.2.5 The color of the finish coating should be taken into
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
account in evaluating surfaces as failures will be more apparent
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
on a finish that shows color contrast with rust, such as used in
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-
these reference standards, than on a similar color, such as an
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.
iron oxide finish.
2. Referenced Documents
5. Procedure
2.1 ASTM Adjuncts:
2 5.1 Visually compare the surface with the photographic
D 610 Degree of rust (four photos)
reference standards to determine the percentage of the area
3. Significance and Use rusted. As a guide use Fig. 1 and the scale and verbal
descriptions shown in Table 1.
3.1 The amount of rusting beneath or through a paint film is
a significant factor in determining whether a coating system
NOTE 1—The numerical rust grade scale is an exponential function of
should be repaired or replaced. This test method provides a
the area of rust so that slight amounts of first rusting have the greatest
affect on lowering the rust grade; the rust grade versus area of rust is a
standardized means for quantifying the amount of rust present.
straight line plot on semilogarithmic coordinate from rust grade 10 to rust
4. Interferences grade 4. The slope of the curve was changed at 10 % of the area rusted to
100 % rusted to permit inclusion of complete rusting on the 0 to 10 rust
4.1 The colored photographic reference standards that are
scale.
part of this test method and the associated rust-grade scale
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NOTE 2—The pictorial representations illustrated in Fig. 1 show
cover only rusting not accompanied by blistering and evi-
examples of area percentages that may be helpful in rust grading.
denced by visible rust.
5.2 The photographic reference standards are not required
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4.2 The use of the photographic reference standards re-
for use of the rust-grade scale since the scale is based upon the
quires the following cautions:
percent of the area rusted and any method of assessing area
4.2.1 Some finishes are stained by rust. This staining must
rusted may be used to determine the rust grade.
not be confused with the actual rusting involved.
4.2.2 Accumulated dirt or other material may make accurate
6. Precision and Bias
6.1 No precision or bias statement can be made for this test
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method.
This test method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D-1 on Paint
and Related Coatings, Materials, and Applications and is the direct responsibility of
7. Keywords
Subcommittee D01.46 on Industrial Protective Coatings.
This test method has been jointly approved by ASTM and the Steel Structures
7.1 corrosion; rusting
Painting Council.
Current edition approved Sept. 15, 1995. Published November 1995. Originally
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published as D 610 – 41. Last previous edition D 610 – 85 (1989)e .
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The colored photographic reference standards are available at a nominal cost
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from ASTM Headquarters (order Adjunct ADJD0610), and from the Steel Structures Original source is Steel Structures Painting Manual, Vol 2, Steel Structures
Painting Council, 4518 Henry St., Suite 301, Pittsburgh, PA 15213. Painting Council, Pittsburgh, PA.
Copyright © ASTM, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.
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D 610
FIG. 1 Examples of Area Percentages
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D 610
TABLE 1 Scale and
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