Letter 0071

Blast cleaning salt contaminated steel

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We are presently blast cleaning and lining petrochemical tanks at a coastal location. The steel has an extremely high chloride contamination which must be reduced to less than 200 mg per square meter. We have environmental control on site to avoid further contamination, but find it difficult to get down to the required levels with only blasting.

1. Has any one experience in this field?

2. Any suggestions for chemical pretreatment?

Thanks for a very enlightening home page.

Kind Regards, Abe Chalef

A Chalef
Internet Africa

The only way to remove the salt of the steel surface, is to steam clean it first, using an alkaline cleaner. You must do this before the blasting because the blasting will only disperse the salt across the surface. Good luck with your project.

MF deKeizer
The Netherlands

January 21, 2008 you can wash using CHLOR*rid detergent Elsayed, Mohamed - Alexandria ,Egypt January 22, 2008 Thanks, Mohamed! If readers have difficulty finding this product, there are a number of other brand names of detergents designed to remove salt. I am not personally familiar with the relative effectiveness of the various brands, but the trade names include "Salt-X" [link is to product info at Amazon], "Supreme Marine Salt Remover" [link is to product info at Amazon] and "Gladiator Salt Remover" [link is to product info at Amazon] Ted Mooney, P.E.  finishing.com Brick, New Jersey