This NACE/SSPC joint standard is one of a set of five new companion standards:
• SSPC-SP 5 (WAB)/NACE WAB-1, White Metal Wet Abrasive Blast Cleaning
• SSPC-SP 10 (WAB)/NACE WAB-2, Near-White Wet Abrasive Blast Cleaning
• SSPC-SP 6 (WAB)/NACE WAB-3, Commercial Wet Abrasive Blast Cleaning
• SSPC-SP 14 (WAB)/NACE WAB-8, Industrial Wet Abrasive Blast Cleaning
• SSPC-SP 7 (WAB)/NACE WAB-4, Brush-Off Wet Abrasive Blast Cleaning
These define the processes for preparing a carbon steel surface to a specified degree of surface cleanliness using a wet abrasive blast (WAB) method of cleaning. Each WAB standard represents one of five levels of cleanliness achievable by WAB, including Near-White Metal, White Metal, Commercial, Industrial, and Brush Off. NACE SP0815, joint standard NACE WAB-3/SSPC-SP 6 (WAB), Commercial WAB Cleaning defines the process for preparing a carbon steel surface to the Commercial degree of surface cleanliness using a WAB method of cleaning, and provides a greater degree of cleaning than Industrial WAB cleaning [SSPC-SP 14 (WAB)/NACE WAB-8], but less than Near-White Metal WAB cleaning [SSPC- SP 10(WAB)/NACE WAB-2]. Commercial WAB Cleaning is used when the objective is to remove all rust, coating, and mill scale, but when the extra effort required to remove all stains of these materials is determined to be unwarranted. This standard is intended for use by coating or lining specifiers, applicators, inspectors, or others whose responsibility is to define a standard degree of surface cleanliness for carbon steel surfaces to be achieved by wet abrasive blast cleaning. Key words: brush off WAB cleaning, carbon steel, cleanliness level, commercial WAB cleaning, corrosion inhibitors, dew point, dust contamination, flash rust, industrial WAB cleaning, near-white metal, nonvisible contamination, rust-back, surface cleanliness, surface preparation, surface profile, tape pull test, TG 350C, visible surface contaminants, WAB, wet abrasive blast, wet abrasive selection, wipe test, white metal