What is Surface Preparation? Surface preparation is the most important factor in coating performance. It removes contaminants from, and provides a profile on a surface before painting. Contaminants may range from oil and grease to oxide products like millscale or rust. Surface profile is needed to provide a mechanical "anchor" for the paint. The conditions of service for a ship are severe and require the best possible protection. This level of protection and coating performance is given by coatings applied over the best surface preparation.

The handbook is developed as a tool for shipyard personnel for planning and conducting surface preparation and coating work in ship tanks and other confined spaces.

Thermal spraying is a group of processes in which freely divided metallic or nonmetallic surfacing materials are deposited in a molten or semi molten condition onto a prepared substrate to form a deposited coating. The thermal spray process normally is a cost-effective method for achieving equipment repair or improving new or used equipment performance. The process is an excellent repair method and should be considered, when appropriate, in lieu of other processes. Some of the potential problems of competing processes include the following: Welding existing components may cause unacceptable distortion, cracking, or heat treatment problems. Precise identification of the base metal is required for welding. Some alloys are difficult or impossible to weld. Welding frequently lowers the fatigue life of the component. Electroplating may be too slow or too limited in buildup capability, and it is environmentally hazardous.