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SSPC-SP WJ-4/NACE WJ-4
March 10, 2012
Editorial Revisions January 5, 2017
materials is determined to be unwarranted. Discoloration of the
surface may be present.
Waterjet cleaning does not provide the primary anchor
pattern on the metallic substrate known as “surface prole.”
The coatings industry uses waterjet cleaning primarily for
recoating or relining projects in which there is an adequate
pre-existing surface prole. The degrees of surface cleanli-
ness cited above to be achieved by waterjet cleaning methods
are not intended to require that a surface prole be present or
dened prior to coating application.
Waterjet cleaning reduces and may completely remove
water-soluble surface contaminants, notably those contami-
nants found at the bottom of pits on the surface of corroded
metallic substrates. Waterjet cleaning also helps remove oil,
grease, rust and other corrosion products, and other foreign
matter (for example, shotcrete spatter) from the surface, and is
used when it is a more feasible method of surface preparation
than, for example, abrasive blast cleaning, power or hand tool
cleaning, or chemical stripping. Waterjet cleaning may be used
when the application of high-performance coatings requires
extensive surface preparation, surface decontamination, or
both.
This standard is intended for use by coating or lining
speciers, applicators, inspectors, or others who have respon-
sibility to dene a standard degree of surface cleanliness to be
achieved by waterjet cleaning methods.
This standard was prepared by SSPC/NACE Joint Task
Group (TG) 278, “Surface Preparation of Metals to WJ-4 (Light
Cleaning) by High-Pressure Waterjetting.” TG 278 is adminis-
tered by Specic Technology Group (STG) 04, “Coatings and
Linings, Protective—Surface Preparation,” and is sponsored
by STG 02, “Coatings and Linings, Protective—Atmospheric,”
and STG 03, “Coatings and Linings, Protective—Immersion
and Buried Service.” This standard is issued by SSPC Group
Committee C.2 on Surface Preparation, and by NACE under
the auspices of STG 04. This standard is one of a set of four
standards on degrees of surface cleanliness to be achieved
by waterjet cleaning that are intended to replace SSPC-SP
12/NACE No. 5,1 which includes all four degrees of surface
cleanliness.
In SSPC/NACE standards, the terms shall, must, should,
and may are used in accordance with Paragraph 2.2.1.8 of
the Agreement between SSPC: The Society for Protective
Coatings and NACE International. The terms shall and must
are used to state mandatory requirements. The term should
is used to state something considered good and is recom-
mended, but is not mandatory. The term may is used to state
something considered optional.
Section 1: General
1.1 This standard denes the Light Cleaning (WJ-4)
degree of surface cleanliness of uncoated or coated metallic
substrates by use of waterjet cleaning. The dened degree
of cleanliness shall be achieved prior to the application of a
specied protective coating or lining system. These require-
ments include the end condition of the surface and materials
and procedures necessary to achieve and verify the end condi-
tion, as determined by visual inspection. This standard also
may be used in situations in which the degree of cleanliness is
required, but protective coatings or linings are not immediately
applied. (Paragraphs A1 and A2 of Appendix A provide addi-
tional information.) Waterjet cleaning does not establish but
may reveal an existing surface prole on a metallic substrate.
If the existing surface prole is not acceptable for subsequent
coating application, alternative surface preparation methods to
create the required surface prole must be considered. (Para-
graph A3 of Appendix A provides additional information.)
1.1.1 Light Cleaning (WJ-4) is essentially equivalent to the
International Organization for Standardization (ISO)(1) 8501-42
degree of cleanliness Wa 4, light cleaning. . ISO 8502-4 notes
the use of various common terms for methods of waterjet
cleaning: water jetting, water blast cleaning, hydrojetting, aqua-
jetting, hydroblasting, aquablasting, and “cleaning by directing
a jet of pressurized water onto the surface to be cleaned.”
1.2 Although carbon steel is the metallic substrate most
frequently cleaned in the eld using waterjetting technology,
waterjet cleaning may be used on metallic substrates other
than carbon steel, including other ferrous substrates such
as alloy steels, stainless steels, ductile iron and cast irons,
nonferrous substrates such as aluminum, and copper alloys
such as bronze. For convenience, the written denitions of the
degrees of surface cleanliness of the metallic substrate use
the general term “rust and other corrosion products.” The term
“rust” is intended to apply to carbon steel substrates and the
term “other corrosion products” (such as surface oxides) is
intended to apply to metallic substrates other than carbon steel
that are being waterjet cleaned. “Flash rust” is an oxidation
product that forms as a wetted carbon steel substrate dries.
The visual guides and comparators referenced for cleanliness
and ash rust only illustrate carbon steel substrates.
1.3 This standard does not address surface preparation of
concrete. Information on surface preparation of concrete can
be found in SSPC-SP 13/NACE No. 6.3
1.4 This standard is limited to requirements for visible
surface contaminants. Information on nonvisible contamina-
tion can be found in Paragraph A8 of Appendix A.
Section 2: Denitions
2.1 Light Cleaning (WJ-4): A metal surface after Light
Cleaning, when viewed without magnication, shall be free
of all visible oil, grease, dirt, dust, loose mill scale, loose rust
and other corrosion products, and loose coating. Any residual
material shall be tightly adhered to the metal substrate and may
consist of randomly dispersed stains of rust and other corro-
sion products or previously applied coating, tightly adherent
thin coatings, and other tightly adherent foreign matter.
1 International Organization for Standardization (ISO), 1 ch. de la Voie-Creuse, Case postale
56, CH-1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland.