BS EN ISO 29601:2011

BSI Standards Publication

Paints and varnishes —

Corrosion protection by
protective paint systems —
Assessment of porosity in a dry
film (ISO 29601:2011)
BS EN ISO 29601:2011 BRITISH STANDARD

National foreword
This British Standard is the UK implementation of EN ISO
29601:2011.
The UK participation in its preparation was entrusted to Technical
Committee STI/27, Paint systems for metallic substrates.
A list of organizations represented on this committee can be
obtained on request to its secretary.
This publication does not purport to include all the necessary
provisions of a contract. Users are responsible for its correct
application.
© BSI 2011
ISBN 978 0 580 67628 4
ICS 87.020
Compliance with a British Standard cannot confer immunity from
legal obligations.
This British Standard was published under the authority of the
Standards Policy and Strategy Committee on 31 May 2011.
Amendments issued since publication
Date Text affected
EUROPEAN STANDARD EN ISO 29601
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM April 2011

ICS 87.020

English Version

Paints and varnishes - Corrosion protection by protective paint

systems - Assessment of porosity in a dry film (ISO 29601:2011)

Peintures et vernis - Anticorrosion par systèmes de Beschichtungsstoffe - Korrosionsschutz von Stahlbauten

peinture - Évaluation de la porosité d'un feuil sec (ISO durch Beschichtungssysteme - Beurteilung der Porosität
29601:2011) einer trockenen Beschichtung (ISO 29601:2011)

This European Standard was approved by CEN on 14 April 2011.

CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this European
Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references concerning such national
standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre or to any CEN member.

This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by translation
under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre has the same
status as the official versions.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland,
Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and United Kingdom.

EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION

COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION
EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

Management Centre: Avenue Marnix 17, B-1000 Brussels

© 2011 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. EN ISO 29601:2011: E
worldwide for CEN national Members.
BS EN ISO 29601:2011
EN ISO 29601:2011 (E)

Foreword
This document (EN ISO 29601:2011) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 139 “Paints and
varnishes”, the secretariat of which is held by DIN, in collaboration with Technical Committee ISO/TC 35
"Paints and varnishes".

This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an identical
text or by endorsement, at the latest by October 2011, and conflicting national standards shall be withdrawn at
the latest by October 2011.

Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent
rights. CEN [and/or CENELEC] shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.

According to the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organizations of the following
countries are bound to implement this European Standard: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia,
Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain,
Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

3
 BS EN ISO 29601:2011
ISO 29601:2011(E)

Contents Page

Foreword ............................................................................................................................................................iv
Introduction.........................................................................................................................................................v
1 Scope ......................................................................................................................................................1
2 Terms and definitions ...........................................................................................................................1
3 Principle .................................................................................................................................................2
4 Test equipment ......................................................................................................................................2
4.1 Low-voltage pinhole detectors ............................................................................................................2
4.2 High-voltage spark testers ...................................................................................................................2
5 Procedure...............................................................................................................................................2
5.1 Selection of test method.......................................................................................................................2
5.2 Low-voltage pinhole detection.............................................................................................................3
5.3 High-voltage spark testing ...................................................................................................................3
6 Expression of results ............................................................................................................................5
7 Test report..............................................................................................................................................5
Bibliography........................................................................................................................................................7

© ISO 2011 – All rights reserved iii

BS EN ISO 29601:2011
ISO 29601:2011(E)

Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies
(ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through ISO
technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been
established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations, governmental and
non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work. ISO collaborates closely with the
International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization.

International Standards are drafted in accordance with the rules given in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.

The main task of technical committees is to prepare International Standards. Draft International Standards
adopted by the technical committees are circulated to the member bodies for voting. Publication as an
International Standard requires approval by at least 75 % of the member bodies casting a vote.

Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of patent
rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.

ISO 29601 was prepared by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) in collaboration with ISO
Technical Committee ISO/TC 35, Paints and varnishes, Subcommittee SC 14, Protective paint systems for
steel structures, in accordance with the Agreement on technical cooperation between ISO and CEN (Vienna
Agreement).

iv © ISO 2011 – All rights reserved

 BS EN ISO 29601:2011
ISO 29601:2011(E)

Introduction
This International Standard supplements the ISO 12944 series (see the Bibliography) with regard to the
detection of porosity in a dry film. If specified or agreed, the standard can also be used for other applications.

The objective of this International Standard is to achieve uniformity of practice for the detection of porosity in a
dry film. The methods chosen entail the detection of porosity using one of two types of equipment, a low-
voltage pinhole detector or a high-voltage spark tester.

This International Standard complements ISO 19840, which concerns the measurement of the thickness of
dry films on rough surfaces, and ISO 16276-1 and ISO 16276-2, which concern the measurement of the
adhesion of a coating by pull-off testing (Part 1) and by cross-cut and X-cut testing (Part 2).

© ISO 2011 – All rights reserved v

BS EN ISO 29601:2011
 BS EN ISO 29601:2011
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 29601:2011(E)

Paints and varnishes — Corrosion protection by protective

paint systems — Assessment of porosity in a dry film

1 Scope
This International Standard specifies procedures for detecting the presence of porosity in a protective paint
system of any thickness on a steel or other metallic substrate. The procedures given in this International
Standard are based on methods using two different types of test equipment, the choice of equipment
depending on the dry film thickness. These procedures are only applicable to the testing of electrically non-
conductive parts of a paint system.

The test methods specified are mainly intended for use with new coatings, but can also be used for coatings
which have been in service for some time. In the latter case, it is important to bear in mind that the coating
might have been penetrated by substances in contact with the coating during service.

2 Terms and definitions

For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.

2.1
porosity
presence of one or more discontinuities in a coating

2.2
discontinuity
hole, pit, pinhole, void, crack, thin spot, inclusion, contamination or other flaw in a coating that significantly
lowers the dielectric strength of the coating

NOTE Certain types of discontinuity can also be described as a holiday.

2.3
nominal dry film thickness
NDFT
dry film thickness specified for each coat or for the whole paint system

[ISO 19840:2004]

2.4
mean dry film thickness
arithmetic mean of all the individual dry film thicknesses in the inspection area

[ISO 19840:2004]

2.5
inspection area
designated area for inspection as defined in the specification

NOTE If inspection areas are not defined, the whole structure is a single inspection area.

© ISO 2011 – All rights reserved 1

BS EN ISO 29601:2011
ISO 29601:2011(E)

3 Principle
Porosity in a protective paint system applied to a conductive metal surface is detected either by low-voltage
wet-sponge testing or high-voltage spark testing. Low-voltage pinhole detectors use moisture to conduct
electrical current through any discontinuity in the coating. High-voltage spark testers generate a spark in a
discontinuity when the discontinuity has a lower dielectric strength than the paint system.

In both cases, the apparatus is connected to the metal substrate by means of a signal return cable, and a DC
voltage is applied by means of a probe. When a discontinuity is detected, an alarm is triggered.

The test voltage is determined by the thickness of the non-conductive part of the coating.

4 Test equipment

4.1 Low-voltage pinhole detectors

4.1.1 Low-voltage pinhole detectors are normally battery-operated for portability. They can either be single-
voltage, 9 V or 90 V, or dual-voltage, switchable between 9 V and 90 V. To provide an electrically conductive
path through any discontinuity in the coating, an open-cell sponge moistened with tap water is used to apply
the voltage.

4.1.2 A cable with a suitable spring-operated connector (crocodile clip) is required to make contact to the
bare substrate to form the signal return.

4.1.3 The low-voltage pinhole detector needs either a visual or audible alarm to indicate when a
discontinuity has been detected. Some designs have both types of alarm.

4.2 High-voltage spark testers

4.2.1 High-voltage spark testers normally have an adjustable output voltage in the range 1 kV to 30 kV. A
fixed output voltage is acceptable providing that the coating has sufficient electrical strength to insulate the
substrate at the fixed voltage except where discontinuities are present. High-voltage spark testers in which the
voltage can be varied shall have a voltage display to ensure that the correct test voltage is applied.

4.2.2 Equipment shall be operated either by DC or pulsed DC. High-voltage AC generators shall not be
used for testing.

4.2.3 A cable with a suitable spring-operated connector (crocodile clip) is required to make contact to the
bare substrate to form the signal return.

4.2.4 A conductive, high-voltage probe suitable for the task is required to apply the voltage to the coating to
be tested. Different probe configurations are available to deal with a variety of different surface shapes and
areas. Probes are made using wire-brush, conductive helical coil or conductive-rubber materials to form the
contact electrode. If there is a risk that the coating will be damaged by a metal electrode, conductive rubber
materials should preferably be used for the electrode.

4.2.5 The equipment requires either an audible or visual alarm to indicate when a spark has been
discharged, signifying that a discontinuity has been detected. Some designs have both types of alarm.

5 Procedure

5.1 Selection of test method

In order to determine which type of detector is appropriate, the mean dry film thickness of the paint system
shall be determined and used as the criterion. If the primer coat is conductive, e.g. a zinc-rich primer, or if the
paint to be tested is applied over a metal coating, such as hot-dip-galvanized or thermally sprayed metals,

2 © ISO 2011 – All rights reserved

 BS EN ISO 29601:2011
ISO 29601:2011(E)

then the value of the mean thickness of the coating system shall be adjusted by subtracting the thickness of
the conductive primer or the non-ferrous metal layer.

For paint systems with a mean dry film thickness of up to 500 µm, low-voltage pinhole detectors shall normally
be used. A high-voltage spark tester may, however, be used to test a paint system with a mean dry film
thickness less than 500 µm, but not less than 300 µm, by agreement between the interested parties.

For paint systems with a mean dry film thickness greater than 500 µm, high-voltage spark testers shall be
used.

5.2 Low-voltage pinhole detection

5.2.1 The test voltage shall normally be 90 V. A test voltage of 9 V may, however, be used for films with a
mean dry film thickness of up to 300 µm by agreement between the interested parties.

5.2.2 If the coating to be tested has been applied recently, it shall be dried/cured in accordance with the
manufacturer's instructions prior to testing. In the absence of manufacturer's recommendations, the coating
shall be dried/cured for at least 10 days in well-ventilated conditions and at a substrate temperature in excess
of 15 °C and a relative humidity of less than 80 % prior to testing.

5.2.3 The surface of the coating to be tested shall be dry and free of oil, dirt and other contaminants.

5.2.4 Ensure that the detector is in good working condition before starting the testing.

5.2.5 Wet the sponge with tap water or with tap water to which a wetting agent has been added. Squeeze
the sponge so that excess water is removed and the sponge does not drip.

5.2.6 Connect the signal return cable to the bare metal substrate. Make sure that the area of coating to be
tested is connected electrically to the point chosen for the contact of the signal return cable.

NOTE This can be checked by making contact with the sponge to another bare metal area of the substrate.

5.2.7 Test the alarm by touching the connector with the sponge.

5.2.8 Move the sponge over the area to be tested at a rate between 0,1 m/s and 0,3 m/s, ensuring a wet
interface is maintained between the sponge and the surface. Use a double pass over the area to increase the
probability of detection.

To avoid stray current flow paths across the surface of the coating to an already detected discontinuity, wipe
any moisture from the discontinuity before continuing the test.

Completely remove any wetting agent by hosing the surface with tap water before attempting to repair the
coating.

5.3 High-voltage spark testing

5.3.1 If the coating to be tested has been applied recently, it shall be dried/cured in accordance with the
manufacturer's instructions prior to testing. In the absence of manufacturer's recommendations, the coating
shall be dried/cured for at least 10 days in well-ventilated conditions and at a substrate temperature in excess
of 15 °C and a relative humidity of less than 80 % prior to testing.

5.3.2 The surface of the coating to be tested shall be dry and free of oil, dirt and other contaminants.

5.3.3 Ensure that the spark tester is in good working condition before starting the testing.

5.3.4 Set the test voltage to the value given in Table 1 corresponding to the mean dry film thickness
determined for the coating (see 5.1).

NOTE As a comparison, the dielectric strength of a column of air is typically 4 kV/mm.

© ISO 2011 – All rights reserved 3

BS EN ISO 29601:2011
ISO 29601:2011(E)

Table 1 — Voltages for high-voltage spark testing

Mean dry film thickness Test voltage

µm kV
up to 500 2,3
above 500 but u600 2,9
above 600 but u700 3,5
above 700 but u800 4,0
above 800 but u900 4,5
above 900 but u1 000 5,0
above 1 000 but u1 100 5,5
above 1 100 but u1 200 6,5
above 1 200 but u1 300 7,0
above 1 300 but u1 400 7,5
above 1 400 but u1 500 8,0
above 1 500 but u1 600 8,5
above 1 600 but u1 700 9,0
above 1 700 but u1 800 10,0
above 1 800 but u1 900 10,5
above 1 900 but u2 000 11,0
above 2 000 but u2 100 11,7
above 2 100 but u2 200 12,4
above 2 200 but u2 300 13,0
above 2 300 but u2 400 13,5
above 2 400 but u2 500 14,0
above 2 500 but u2 600 14,5
above 2 600 but u2 700 15,0
above 2 700 but u2 800 15,5
above 2 800 but u2 900 16,0
above 2 900 but u3 000 16,5
above 3 000 but u3 100 17,0
above 3 100 but u3 200 17,5
above 3 200 but u3 300 18,0
above 3 300 but u3 400 18,5
above 3 400 but u3 500 19,0
above 3 500 but u3 600 19,5
above 3 600 but u3 700 20,0
above 3 700 but u3 800 21,0
above 3 800 but u3 900 21,5
above 3 900 but u4 000 22,0
above 4 000 but u4 100 22,5

4 © ISO 2011 – All rights reserved

 BS EN ISO 29601:2011
ISO 29601:2011(E)

Table 1 (continued)

Mean dry film thickness Test voltage

µm kV
above 4 100 but u4 200 23,0
above 4 200 but u4 300 24,0
above 4 300 but u4 400 25,0
above 4 400 but u4 500 25,8
above 4 500 but u4 600 26,4
above 4 600 but u4 700 26,8
above 4 700 but u4 800 27,4
above 4 800 but u4 900 28,0
above 4 900 but u5 000 28,5
above 5 000 but u5 300 29,0
above 5 300 but u8 000 30,0

5.3.5 Move the probe over the area to be tested at a rate between 0,1 m/s and 0,3 m/s. Do not repeat the
test on the same surface to avoid the risk of damage to the coating.

NOTE With some types of coating, false alarms can occur as small currents can flow from the high-voltage probe on
to the surface.

6 Expression of results
Report the results of testing as the number of discontinuities detected in the inspection area.

7 Test report
The report shall contain at least the following information:

a) a reference to this International Standard (ISO 29601);

b) information necessary to identify the inspection areas, such as:

1) the name of the owner of the structure,

2) identification of the structure, including its location,

3) the location of the inspection area,

4) any other relevant information;

c) information necessary to identify the protective paint system inspected, such as:

1) the manufacturer,

2) the product names and identifying code numbers of the paint system,

3) details for the substrate and the surface preparation,

© ISO 2011 – All rights reserved 5

BS EN ISO 29601:2011
ISO 29601:2011(E)

4) the nominal dry film thickness of the paint system,

5) the mean dry film thickness of the paint system,

6) the presence of any conductive coating layers (see 5.1),

7) in the case of high-voltage spark testing, the mean coating thickness value used to select the test
voltage,

8) if the coating had been applied recently, the length of time and ambient conditions used for the
drying/curing process;

d) the test method and voltage used;

e) details of the equipment used, such as:

1) equipment identification, including the serial number,

2) all relevant equipment verification data confirming the suitability of the equipment for the test;

f) details of any wetting agent used;

g) the number of discontinuities detected in the inspection area;

h) any deviation from this International Standard;

i) any unusual features (anomalies) observed during the inspection;

j) the date of the inspection;

k) the name of the inspector and the authority which commissioned the inspection.

6 © ISO 2011 – All rights reserved

 BS EN ISO 29601:2011
ISO 29601:2011(E)

Bibliography

[1] ISO 12944-1, Paints and varnishes — Corrosion protection of steel structures by protective paint
systems — Part 1: General introduction

[2] ISO 12944-2, Paints and varnishes — Corrosion protection of steel structures by protective paint
systems — Part 2: Classification of environments

[3] ISO 12944-3, Paints and varnishes — Corrosion protection of steel structures by protective paint
systems — Part 3: Design considerations

[4] ISO 12944-4, Paints and varnishes — Corrosion protection of steel structures by protective paint
systems — Part 4: Types of surface and surface preparation

[5] ISO 12944-5, Paints and varnishes — Corrosion protection of steel structures by protective paint
systems — Part 5: Protective paint systems

[6] ISO 12944-6, Paints and varnishes — Corrosion protection of steel structures by protective paint
systems — Part 6: Laboratory performance test methods

[7] ISO 12944-7, Paints and varnishes — Corrosion protection of steel structures by protective paint
systems — Part 7: Execution and supervision of paint work

[8] ISO 12944-8, Paints and varnishes — Corrosion protection of steel structures by protective paint
systems — Part 8: Development of specifications for new work and maintenance

[9] ISO 16276-1, Corrosion protection of steel structures by protective paint systems — Assessment of,
and acceptance criteria for, the adhesion/cohesion (fracture strength) of a coating — Part 1: Pull-off
testing

[10] ISO 16276-2, Corrosion protection of steel structures by protective paint systems — Assessment of,
and acceptance criteria for, the adhesion/cohesion (fracture strength) of a coating — Part 2: Cross-cut
testing and X-cut testing

[11] ISO 19840:2004, Paints and varnishes — Corrosion protection of steel structures by protective paint
systems — Measurement of, and acceptance criteria for, the thickness of dry films on rough surfaces

© ISO 2011 – All rights reserved 7

This page deliberately left blank
This page deliberately left blank
NO COPYING WITHOUT BSI PERMISSION EXCEPT AS PERMITTED BY COPYRIGHT LAW

British Standards Institution (BSI)

BSI is the national body responsible for preparing British Standards and other
standards-related publications, information and services.
BSI is incorporated by Royal Charter. British Standards and other standardization
products are published by BSI Standards Limited.

About us Revisions
We bring together business, industry, government, consumers, innovators Our British Standards and other publications are updated by amendment or revision.
and others to shape their combined experience and expertise into standards We continually improve the quality of our products and services to benefit your
-based solutions. business. If you find an inaccuracy or ambiguity within a British Standard or other
The knowledge embodied in our standards has been carefully assembled in BSI publication please inform the Knowledge Centre.
a dependable format and refined through our open consultation process.
Organizations of all sizes and across all sectors choose standards to help Copyright
them achieve their goals. All the data, software and documentation set out in all British Standards and
other BSI publications are the property of and copyrighted by BSI, or some person
Information on standards or entity that owns copyright in the information used (such as the international
We can provide you with the knowledge that your organization needs standardization bodies) and has formally licensed such information to BSI for
to succeed. Find out more about British Standards by visiting our website at commercial publication and use. Except as permitted under the Copyright, Designs
bsigroup.com/standards or contacting our Customer Services team or and Patents Act 1988 no extract may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system
Knowledge Centre. or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, photocopying, recording
or otherwise – without prior written permission from BSI. Details and advice can
Buying standards be obtained from the Copyright & Licensing Department.
You can buy and download PDF versions of BSI publications, including British
and adopted European and international standards, through our website at Useful Contacts:
bsigroup.com/shop, where hard copies can also be purchased. Customer Services
If you need international and foreign standards from other Standards Development Tel: +44 845 086 9001
Organizations, hard copies can be ordered from our Customer Services team. Email (orders): orders@bsigroup.com
Email (enquiries): cservices@bsigroup.com
Subscriptions
Subscriptions
Our range of subscription services are designed to make using standards
Tel: +44 845 086 9001
easier for you. For further information on our subscription products go to
Email: subscriptions@bsigroup.com
bsigroup.com/subscriptions.
With British Standards Online (BSOL) you’ll have instant access to over 55,000 Knowledge Centre
British and adopted European and international standards from your desktop. Tel: +44 20 8996 7004
It’s available 24/7 and is refreshed daily so you’ll always be up to date. Email: knowledgecentre@bsigroup.com
You can keep in touch with standards developments and receive substantial
Copyright & Licensing
discounts on the purchase price of standards, both in single copy and subscription
format, by becoming a BSI Subscribing Member. Tel: +44 20 8996 7070
Email: copyright@bsigroup.com
PLUS is an updating service exclusive to BSI Subscribing Members. You will
automatically receive the latest hard copy of your standards when they’re
revised or replaced.
To find out more about becoming a BSI Subscribing Member and the benefits
of membership, please visit bsigroup.com/shop.
With a Multi-User Network Licence (MUNL) you are able to host standards
publications on your intranet. Licences can cover as few or as many users as you
wish. With updates supplied as soon as they’re available, you can be sure your
documentation is current. For further information, email bsmusales@bsigroup.com.

BSI Group Headquarters

389 Chiswick High Road London W4 4AL UK