The Language of Finishing: Paint and Coatings Glossary S

This installment of the AirSprayTech.com Paint and Coatings Industry Glossary covers terms beginning with the letter S. These definitions address coating application, safety, surface preparation, spray equipment, soluble salts, inspection, corrosion protection, powder coating, and common coating defects.

Coating terminology can have different meanings depending on the industry, specification, manufacturer, or application process. Always consult the governing specification, approved product data sheet, safety data sheet, equipment manual, and complete referenced standard before performing coating work.

---

S

Sacrificial Coating

A sacrificial coating protects a metal substrate by corroding preferentially when the coating and substrate are electrically connected in a suitable environment.

Zinc-rich coatings on steel are common examples. The zinc acts anodically to the steel and may continue to provide localized protection where the coating has been damaged.

Sacrificial protection depends on zinc content, electrical continuity, surface preparation, exposure, film thickness, and coating formulation. A coating containing some zinc is not automatically a zinc-rich sacrificial coating.

Safety Data Sheet — SDS

A Safety Data Sheet provides standardized information about a chemical product’s hazards, composition, handling, storage, exposure controls, personal protective equipment, first aid, fire response, spills, stability, and disposal considerations.

The SDS is different from the product data sheet. The SDS focuses on health, safety, and emergency information, while the product data sheet explains technical application and performance requirements.

Workers should have access to the current SDS for each coating, thinner, catalyst, cleaning chemical, and other hazardous material used in the workplace. Information about the Hazard Communication Standard is available from OSHA.

Sag

A sag is the downward movement of wet coating that produces a curtain, wave, or heavy area before the film sets. It is closely related to a run, although a sag often affects a broader area.

Common causes include excessive wet-film thickness, low viscosity, too much reducer, slow gun movement, excessive fluid delivery, holding the spray gun too close, low surface temperature, and insufficient flash time.

Laboratory sag resistance may be evaluated using ASTM D4400, Standard Test Method for Sag Resistance of Paints Using a Multinotch Applicator.

Sag Resistance

Sag resistance is a liquid coating’s ability to remain in place on a vertical or overhead surface without flowing downward excessively.

A coating can have good leveling and still require sufficient sag resistance. The desired balance depends on the substrate orientation, application thickness, coating chemistry, viscosity, temperature, and application method.

Salt Contamination

Salt contamination is the presence of soluble ionic material on or within a substrate, abrasive, water supply, or coating system. Common contaminants include chlorides, sulfates, and nitrates.

Salts may remain invisible after surface preparation. When coated over, they can attract moisture and contribute to osmotic blistering, underfilm corrosion, loss of adhesion, and shortened service life.

Salt contamination is especially important in marine, offshore, wastewater, immersion, bridge, pipeline, and chemical-service applications.

Salt-Fog Testing

Salt-fog testing exposes coated specimens to a controlled salt-containing atmosphere in a laboratory chamber. It is used to evaluate and compare corrosion performance under a specified test procedure.

Results are affected by specimen preparation, scribe method, coating thickness, edge protection, chamber operation, exposure time, and evaluation procedure.

Salt-fog hours should not be converted directly into years of service life. The test is a comparative laboratory tool and does not reproduce every field environment or failure mechanism.

Sample

A sample is a portion of coating, abrasive, water, residue, dust, or another material collected for examination or testing.

A useful sample must be representative of the material or condition being evaluated. The collection location, date, time, batch, container, method, and person obtaining the sample should be documented when traceability is important.

Sand Finish

A sand finish is a textured coating appearance produced by aggregate, coarse particles, application technique, or a purpose-formulated textured material.

Sand finishes are used on walls, floors, architectural surfaces, nonskid areas, and decorative products. Uniform appearance depends on mixing, aggregate distribution, application rate, spray setup, roller technique, and maintaining a wet edge.

Sandblasting

Sandblasting is a traditional term for abrasive blasting. The modern term is preferred because many blasting operations use abrasives other than sand.

Using silica-containing sand can create serious respirable crystalline silica exposure. Abrasive selection and worker protection must comply with applicable requirements. Information is available from OSHA’s Crystalline Silica resources.

Sanding

Sanding uses coated abrasive paper, discs, belts, pads, or other abrasive products to smooth, clean, dull, or profile a surface.

Sanding may remove defects, feather repair edges, improve intercoat adhesion, prepare fillers, or refine a finish before polishing.

The correct abrasive grade depends on the substrate, coating hardness, desired profile, and following coat. Abrasive residue and dust must be removed before coating.

Sanding Scratch

A sanding scratch is a groove or pattern left by an abrasive that remains visible through the finished coating. It may result from using an abrasive that is too coarse, failing to refine scratches progressively, or applying insufficient primer or surfacer.

Scratches can become more visible after a glossy or metallic finish is applied. Proper abrasive sequencing, cleaning, guide coats, and adequate surfacer thickness help prevent the defect.

Saponification

Saponification is a chemical reaction in which certain oils or oil-based binders react with strong alkalinity and form soap-like materials.

Alkyd and oil-based coatings applied to highly alkaline concrete, masonry, plaster, or improperly neutralized surfaces may soften, become sticky, lose adhesion, or break down through saponification.

Coating selection should account for substrate alkalinity and moisture. Surface preparation alone may not make an alkali-sensitive coating suitable for the exposure.

Satin Finish

A satin finish has a moderate sheen between flat or matte and semigloss. The exact gloss range varies among manufacturers and product categories.

Color, surface texture, film thickness, application method, cure, and measurement angle can affect the perceived sheen. When appearance is important, an approved physical sample or specified gloss range should be used.

Sealer

A sealer is applied to reduce substrate absorption, bind a porous or friable surface, isolate contamination, reduce outgassing, or create a more uniform base for subsequent coats.

Sealers are used on concrete, masonry, wood, fillers, porous castings, stains, and previously coated surfaces. The word “sealer” does not identify one chemistry or guarantee waterproofing.

Seam

A seam is the line where two sections of material meet or overlap. Seams occur in roofing, tanks, ductwork, vehicle bodies, fabricated steel, liners, and sheet-metal assemblies.

Seams may require cleaning, sealing, reinforcing, stripe coating, welding, or another special treatment. Movement, sharp edges, gaps, and trapped contamination make seams common locations for coating failure.

Secondary Containment

Secondary containment is a barrier system designed to contain a spill or leak from primary storage or process equipment.

Coated concrete berms, floors, sumps, trenches, and walls are common examples. The coating or lining must be selected for the stored chemicals, concentration, temperature, exposure duration, cleaning procedures, and substrate conditions.

Joints, cracks, penetrations, terminations, drains, and transitions require special attention because a small discontinuity can compromise the containment system.

Set-to-Touch

Set-to-touch describes a drying stage at which a coating film no longer adheres to a finger or specified test instrument under the prescribed method.

Set-to-touch does not mean that the coating is fully cured, ready for service, resistant to chemicals, or safe to recoat. Drying and curing terms must be interpreted according to the stated test method or product data sheet.

Sheen

Sheen describes the degree of light reflection from a coating surface, particularly at lower viewing angles. Common descriptions include flat, matte, eggshell, satin, semigloss, and gloss.

These names are not standardized identically across all manufacturers. Instrumental gloss measurement and an approved appearance sample provide more objective control than descriptive names alone.

Shelf Life

Shelf life is the period during which a properly stored, unopened coating or component is expected to remain suitable for its intended use.

Shelf life depends on storage temperature, moisture exposure, container condition, product chemistry, and manufacturer requirements. The manufacturing date, expiration date, and batch number should be checked before use.

Expired material should not be used merely because it can still be stirred or sprayed. Written manufacturer approval and appropriate evaluation may be required.

Shop Coat

A shop coat is applied in a fabrication shop or manufacturing facility before a component is transported to the jobsite. It may be a temporary primer, permanent primer, holding primer, or part of the final coating system.

Shop-applied coatings can be damaged by welding, cutting, handling, storage, shipping, and erection. The project specification should define cleaning, touch-up, and compatibility with field-applied coats.

Shop Primer

A shop primer is a primer applied to steel or another substrate during fabrication before delivery or assembly. It may provide temporary corrosion protection and serve as the first layer of the final coating system.

The primer must be compatible with welding, fabrication, fireproofing, sealants, topcoats, and the intended service. Weathered or contaminated shop primer may require cleaning, abrasion, repair, or removal before overcoating.

Shot Blasting

Shot blasting propels metallic or mineral abrasive against a surface to remove contamination and produce a surface profile. The term often refers to centrifugal-wheel equipment but is also used more generally.

Enclosed shot-blasting machines are common in steel fabrication and concrete floor preparation. Abrasive type, size, hardness, speed, travel rate, and equipment condition affect cleanliness and profile.

Silica

Silica is a mineral compound found in sand, quartz, concrete, masonry, and many construction materials. Cutting, grinding, sanding, or blasting silica-containing material can generate respirable crystalline silica dust.

Respirable crystalline silica can cause serious disease. Work must be evaluated and controlled through appropriate methods, ventilation, containment, respiratory protection, housekeeping, and regulatory compliance.

Silicone Contamination

Silicone contamination is the presence of silicone-containing oil, polish, lubricant, release agent, sealant, or airborne residue on a surface or in a finishing area.

Very small amounts can interfere with coating wetting and produce fisheyes, craters, poor adhesion, or localized rejection. Silicone can be transferred by rags, tools, personal-care products, compressed air, maintenance materials, and nearby operations.

Silicone Roof Coating

A silicone roof coating is a fluid-applied elastomeric material used to protect and restore suitable roof surfaces. Silicone systems are commonly selected for ultraviolet resistance, weathering, and resistance to ponding water.

Surface preparation, adhesion testing, cleaning, primer requirements, seam repairs, application rate, weather, and cure must follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Cured silicone surfaces can be difficult to overcoat with other materials. Future repair and recoating compatibility should be considered when the system is selected.

Siloxane Coating

Siloxane coatings and water repellents contain silicon-oxygen-based chemistry used for weathering resistance, water repellency, gloss retention, or protection of mineral substrates.

Some siloxane products penetrate masonry and reduce liquid-water absorption while allowing water vapor to pass. Others are part of high-performance industrial coating systems. The term alone does not identify whether the product forms a film or penetrates the substrate.

Single-Component Coating — 1K

A single-component coating is supplied without a separate hardener or activator that must be mixed into it before application. It may also be called a 1K coating.

Single-component coatings may dry or cure through evaporation, oxidation, atmospheric moisture, heat, ultraviolet energy, or another mechanism. They may still require stirring, reduction, filtration, or temperature conditioning.

Skinning

Skinning is the formation of a dried or partially cured layer on the surface of coating stored in a container. It can result from exposure to air, moisture, heat, or repeated opening of the container.

Skin fragments must not be mixed back into the coating because they can clog equipment and produce surface defects. The remaining material should be evaluated and strained only when permitted by the manufacturer.

Slip Resistance

Slip resistance is a surface’s ability to resist sliding under stated conditions. It is important for floors, walkways, stairs, ramps, decks, roofs, and other pedestrian or vehicle surfaces.

Slip resistance depends on texture, aggregate, wear, slope, contaminants, footwear, water, oil, cleaning practices, and the selected test method.

A general description such as “nonskid” does not establish a measured performance value. The specification should identify the test method, condition, and acceptance criterion when measurable slip resistance is required.

Solids by Volume

Solids by volume, commonly called volume solids, is the percentage of applied liquid coating expected to remain as dried or cured film by volume under the stated test conditions.

Volume solids is used to estimate wet-film thickness from a required dry-film thickness:

Required WFT = Required DFT ÷ Volume Solids as a Decimal

For example, a coating with 60 percent volume solids theoretically requires 5 wet mils to produce 3 dry mils before allowances for thinning, surface profile, or application loss.

Solids by Weight

Solids by weight is the percentage of a coating’s weight remaining after specified volatile material has been removed.

Solids by weight is useful for material characterization but should not replace volume solids in wet-to-dry film-thickness calculations. Coating ingredients have different densities, so weight and volume percentages are not interchangeable.

Soluble Salts

Soluble salts are ionic contaminants that dissolve in water. Chlorides, sulfates, and nitrates are common examples encountered on steel, concrete, abrasive, and previously exposed structures.

Soluble salts can remain on a surface after it appears visually clean. When trapped beneath a coating, they may attract moisture and promote osmotic blistering, underfilm corrosion, and loss of adhesion.

The specification should identify the extraction method, measurement method, test frequency, units, and acceptance limit.

Solvent

A solvent is a liquid capable of dissolving or carrying another material. In coatings, solvents can adjust viscosity, support application, control flow and leveling, clean equipment, or participate in product manufacture.

Solvents differ significantly in evaporation rate, solvency, flammability, toxicity, odor, and compatibility. Only manufacturer-approved solvents should be added to a coating.

Solvent-Borne Coating

A solvent-borne coating uses organic solvents as a major portion of its liquid carrier. The solvents evaporate during drying or cure, leaving the coating film behind.

Solvent-borne products may provide useful application, wetting, cure, or performance characteristics, but they require attention to ventilation, worker exposure, fire hazards, electrical classification, and VOC requirements.

Solvent Entrapment

Solvent entrapment occurs when solvent remains trapped inside a coating film because the surface closes or cures before the solvent can escape.

Common causes include excessive film thickness, recoating too quickly, poor ventilation, incorrect reducer, low temperature, rapid surface cure, or placing coated parts into service too soon.

Consequences may include softness, bubbling, blistering, pinholes, poor adhesion, odor, slow cure, and reduced chemical resistance.

Solvent Pop

Solvent pop is a defect consisting of small craters, bubbles, or pinholes formed when trapped solvent vapor escapes through a coating that has begun to set.

It is common in automotive, aerospace, OEM, baked, and high-build finishes. Causes include excessive wet-film thickness, inadequate flash time, rapid oven heat-up, incorrect reducer, excessive booth temperature, and poor air movement.

Solvent Resistance

Solvent resistance is a cured coating’s ability to withstand contact with specified solvents without unacceptable softening, swelling, discoloration, dissolution, or loss of adhesion.

Solvent-rub testing is sometimes used as an indication of cure. Results depend on the coating, solvent, cloth, rubbing pressure, stroke length, number of double rubs, and evaluation criteria.

Relevant procedures include ASTM D4752 for ethyl-silicate inorganic zinc-rich coatings and ASTM D5402 for organic coatings.

Spitting

Spitting is the discharge of coarse droplets, lumps, or intermittent bursts from a spray applicator instead of a stable atomized pattern.

Common causes include loose fluid connections, air entering the fluid system, a damaged needle or nozzle, coating buildup at the air cap, unstable pressure, partially blocked passages, or poor powder delivery.

Spitting can create heavy spots, craters, surface contamination, and uneven film thickness.

Spot Blasting

Spot blasting is localized abrasive-blast cleaning performed only on selected areas such as corrosion spots, welds, damaged coating, repairs, or isolated failures.

The surrounding sound coating should be protected and feathered where required. The prepared area must meet the specified cleanliness and profile, and loose abrasive or contamination must be removed before repair coating.

Spot Prime

Spot priming is the application of primer only to localized bare, repaired, or prepared areas rather than over the complete surface.

It is common in maintenance painting and overcoating projects. The primer must be compatible with the exposed substrate, surrounding coating, subsequent coats, and service environment.

Spray Application

Spray application uses an applicator to divide coating into droplets or particles and direct them toward a surface. Technologies include conventional air spray, HVLP, LVLP, airless, air-assisted airless, electrostatic liquid spray, and powder spray.

Successful application depends on correct equipment selection, atomization, fluid delivery, pattern adjustment, gun distance, gun angle, overlap, speed, triggering, environmental conditions, and operator technique.

Spray Booth

A spray booth is an enclosed or partially enclosed structure designed to control overspray, vapors, airflow, contamination, and worker exposure during spray application.

The booth may use dry filters, water wash, powder collectors, or specialized exhaust equipment. Safe operation also depends on replacement air, electrical classification, grounding, fire protection, housekeeping, and regular maintenance.

Spray Distance

Spray distance is the space between the spray applicator and the workpiece. The correct distance depends on the gun, air cap, tip, coating, pressure, pattern, part geometry, and application method.

Holding the gun too far away can create dry spray, overspray, reduced transfer efficiency, and poor film build. Holding it too close can produce an undeveloped pattern, excessive wetness, runs, or uneven thickness.

Spray Fan

A spray fan is the flattened or elongated pattern produced by many liquid and powder applicators. Fan width is usually evaluated at a stated distance from the target.

A wider fan covers more area but may not provide the best control on narrow or complex parts. Fan width, material distribution, fluid delivery, and operator overlap must work together.

Spray Gun

A spray gun is an applicator used to control, atomize, shape, and direct coating toward a surface. Spray guns may be manual or automatic and may apply liquid coating, powder, adhesive, release material, or another finish.

Common liquid technologies include conventional air spray, HVLP, LVLP, airless, air-assisted airless, and electrostatic spray. The correct gun depends on finish quality, material, production rate, pressure, transfer efficiency, and part geometry.

Spray Pattern

A spray pattern is the visible shape and distribution of coating produced by a spray gun. A properly adjusted pattern should suit the workpiece and deposit material consistently.

A pattern test can reveal heavy edges, a split fan, one-sided delivery, pulsation, restricted air-cap holes, incorrect pressure, worn components, or coating that has not been properly prepared.

Spray Tip

A spray tip is the component that controls the orifice size and spray angle in an airless or air-assisted airless system. It has a major effect on flow rate and fan width.

Tip-numbering systems vary by manufacturer and product line. In many common systems, part of the designation relates to fan width and part relates to orifice diameter, but the actual manufacturer’s chart should be used.

A worn tip normally delivers more material and a narrower, less-defined pattern. Increasing pressure does not restore a worn or damaged tip.

Spray-Gun Triggering

Triggering is the controlled starting and stopping of coating flow during each spray pass. The gun should generally begin moving before the trigger is fully opened and continue moving as the trigger is released.

Proper triggering reduces heavy buildup at the beginning and end of each pass. It also limits overspray beyond the edges of the part.

Spread Rate

Spread rate is the surface area theoretically or practically covered by a specified quantity of coating at a stated film thickness.

Theoretical spread rate is based primarily on volume solids and dry-film thickness. Practical coverage is lower because of overspray, surface profile, container residue, hose loss, waste, application method, and part geometry.

SSPC

SSPC originally stood for the Steel Structures Painting Council and later became SSPC: The Society for Protective Coatings. It developed widely used surface-preparation, coating-application, and inspection standards.

SSPC and NACE International combined to form AMPP—the Association for Materials Protection and Performance. Legacy project specifications still frequently use familiar SSPC designations such as SSPC-SP 1, SP 2, SP 3, SP 5, SP 6, and SP 10.

The exact designation and edition should be verified through AMPP Standards.

SSPC-PA 2

SSPC-PA 2 is a widely referenced procedure for determining conformance to dry coating thickness requirements on ferrous and nonferrous metal substrates using nondestructive gauges.

The procedure addresses gauge adjustment, spot measurements, areas, frequency, data interpretation, and conformance to specified thickness ranges.

A single gauge reading is not normally treated as the coating thickness for an entire structure. The complete procedure and project-specified restriction level must be understood before accepting or rejecting the work.

Static Electricity

Static electricity is an accumulation of electrical charge on a person, object, fluid, hose, container, or surface. It can be generated by fluid movement, powder transport, ventilation, belts, filters, clothing, and other processes.

An uncontrolled discharge can ignite flammable vapors or combustible powder. Grounding, bonding, conductive equipment, suitable hoses, humidity control, housekeeping, and process-specific safety systems help control the hazard.

Static Mixer

A static mixer is a tube or mixing element containing fixed internal components that combine coating materials as they flow through it. It has no powered moving parts.

Static mixers are commonly used downstream of the proportioning point in plural-component equipment. Mixer diameter, length, element design, material viscosity, flow rate, and pressure affect mixing quality.

Once components are combined, the mixed material can cure inside the mixer. The equipment must be flushed or serviced within the permitted working time.

Steel Shot

Steel shot is a rounded metallic abrasive commonly used in centrifugal blast machines and controlled blasting processes. It removes scale and contamination primarily through impact.

Steel shot tends to produce a more rounded profile than angular steel grit. Abrasive blends may be adjusted to obtain the required cleaning rate, profile shape, and operating life.

Steel Grit

Steel grit is an angular metallic abrasive used to clean and profile steel. Its angular shape produces a sharper cutting action than rounded steel shot.

Particle size, hardness, operating mix, wheel speed, contamination, and equipment condition influence the resulting profile. Recycled metallic abrasive must be monitored to maintain process consistency.

Stripe Coat

A stripe coat is an additional coating application made to edges, corners, welds, bolts, crevices, and other difficult areas before or after application of a full coat.

Coatings tend to pull away from sharp edges and may receive insufficient thickness in complex geometry. Stripe coating helps build protection in these vulnerable locations.

A stripe coat is commonly applied by brush or controlled spray. It should extend sufficiently onto adjacent surfaces and comply with the specified sequence, product, color, and recoat interval.

Substrate

The substrate is the underlying material or surface to which a coating is applied. Examples include carbon steel, galvanized steel, aluminum, concrete, masonry, wood, plastic, composites, and previously coated surfaces.

Substrate composition, condition, temperature, profile, porosity, cleanliness, moisture, and movement influence coating selection and performance.

Substrate Temperature

Substrate temperature is the temperature of the actual surface being coated. It may differ substantially from the surrounding air temperature.

Substrate temperature affects condensation risk, viscosity at the surface, drying, cure, flow, outgassing, and recoat time. Direct sunlight can make a surface much hotter than the air, while massive steel or concrete may remain colder.

The temperature should be measured at representative locations and compared with the product data sheet and dew point requirements.

Surface Cleanliness

Surface cleanliness is the condition of a substrate after removal of specified oil, grease, dirt, rust, mill scale, old coating, dust, salts, moisture, and other contamination.

Cleanliness must be evaluated according to the specified method. Visual appearance alone cannot establish the absence of soluble salts, oil films, or other invisible contamination.

Surface Contamination

Surface contamination is unwanted material that can interfere with coating adhesion, cure, appearance, or protective performance.

Examples include oil, grease, dust, salts, moisture, chalk, silicone, fingerprints, release agents, cleaning residue, abrasive, and corrosion products.

Different contaminants require different detection and removal methods. Abrasive blasting should not be expected to remove every type of contamination.

Surface Preparation

Surface preparation is the controlled process of creating a substrate condition suitable for coating. It can include inspection, cleaning, degreasing, abrasive blasting, sanding, grinding, waterjetting, chemical treatment, profile creation, dust removal, and repair of surface defects.

Surface preparation is one of the most important factors affecting coating performance. The work must achieve the specified cleanliness, profile, contaminant limits, dryness, and condition immediately before coating.

Surface Profile

Surface profile is the three-dimensional texture created by abrasive blasting, mechanical preparation, chemical treatment, or another process.

On blast-cleaned steel, profile is commonly expressed as the distance between peaks and valleys. On concrete, the profile may be compared with ICRI Concrete Surface Profile replicas.

Too little profile may reduce adhesion. Excessive profile can leave peaks inadequately covered and increase coating consumption. ASTM D4417 addresses field measurement of profile on blast-cleaned steel.

Surface-Tolerant Coating

A surface-tolerant coating is formulated to perform over a broader range of prepared surface conditions than a coating requiring abrasive blasting to a very high cleanliness grade.

The term does not mean the product can be applied over oil, loose rust, dirt, moisture, salts, or unsound coating. Minimum preparation and contamination limits still apply.

The coating manufacturer’s written requirements should define what surface conditions are actually tolerated.

Sweep Blasting

Sweep blasting is light abrasive blasting used to clean and texture a surface without causing excessive removal or damage. It is commonly used on galvanized steel, existing coatings, aluminum, and other sensitive surfaces.

Abrasive type, size, pressure, angle, distance, and dwell time must be controlled. Excessive blasting can remove zinc, damage thin metal, expose substrate, or produce an unsuitable profile.

Sweat-In Time

Sweat-in time is another term for induction time. It is the required waiting period after the components of certain coatings are mixed but before application begins.

Sweat-in time should not be confused with pot life. The coating manufacturer’s required time and temperature conditions must be followed.

---

Referenced Standards and Industry Resources

• AMPP Standards and Technical Resources
• OSHA Hazard Communication
• OSHA Crystalline Silica Safety Information
• ASTM D523 — Specular Gloss
• ASTM D2200 — Visual Surface-Preparation Standards for Steel
• ASTM D4417 — Field Measurement of Surface Profile
• ASTM D4400 — Sag Resistance of Paints
• ASTM D4752 — Solvent Resistance of Inorganic Zinc-Rich Coatings
• ASTM D5402 — Solvent Resistance of Organic Coatings

Continue Building Your Coatings Vocabulary

Understanding coatings terminology helps applicators, inspectors, equipment operators, specifiers, facility owners, and purchasing professionals communicate more accurately. Continue with the next installment of The Language of Finishing for definitions beginning with the letters T and U.

For assistance selecting professional spray guns, pumps, pressure equipment, powder coating systems, electrostatic equipment, spray booths, ovens, or genuine replacement parts, contact AirSprayTech.com—The Finishing Authority® at 817.490.1777.

Copyright © 2026 Azimuth Spray Systems, LLC. All rights reserved. AirSprayTech.com—The Finishing Authority®. No portion of this glossary may be reproduced, distributed, or republished without prior written permission.

Tags: paint coatings glossary S, surface preparation terms, spray equipment terminology, soluble salt contamination, stripe coating, spray booth terms, coating safety definitions, solvent coating defects, surface profile inspection