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RUser Guide
Elcometer 139
Amine Blush Swab Test Kit

CONTENTS

1Box Contents

6

Taking a Swab Sample

2General Description

7

The Importance of Amine Blush Determination

3Test Principle

8Disclaimer

4

Safety & Storage Instructions

9Limitations / Possible Test Interference

5Preparing Test Part A (Green) & Test
Part B (Blue) Solutions

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is a registered trademark of Elcometer Limited, Edge Lane, Manchester, M43 6BU. United Kingdom

Manufactured exclusively for Elcometer by Abraxis LLC, 54 Steamwhistle Drive, Warminster, PA 18974, USA.
Box dimensions: 172 x 110 x 100mm (6.75 x 4.25 x 4.00"). Weight: 350g (12.3oz).
A Material Safety Data Sheet is available to download via our website,https://downloads.elcometer.com/MSDS/elcometer_139_amine_blush_swab_kit.pdf© Elcometer Limited 2022. All rights reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored (in a retrieval system or otherwise)or translated into any language, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, magnetic, optical, manual or otherwise) without the prior written
permission of Elcometer Limited.
Patent Pending

TMA-0527 Issue 05 - Text with cover 23471

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1 BOX CONTENTS

The Elcometer 139 is supplied in a cardboard box which has been designed to act as a work stationand contains:
20 x Polystyrene Sampler Test Tubes (white caps) of 1.0ml (0.035fl oz) buffer solution
1 x Test tube (green cap) of Diluent Part A solution
1 x Test tube (blue cap) of Diluent Part B solution
2 x Diluent Transfer Pipettes (green & blue)
3 x Test Part A dropper bottles (green cap) - containing ACh-E powder (freeze dried)
3 x Test Part B dropper bottles (blue cap) - containing ATC powder (freeze dried)
1 x Test Part C dropper bottle (yellow cap) - containing Chromogen DTNB solution
1 x Bottle of Swab Solution - containing 25ml (0.89fl oz) of rubbing alcohol (70% IPA)
20 x Cotton Swabs (q-tips)
2 x Swab Templates - 2.54 x 2.54cm (1 x 1")
1 x Pair of Tweezers
1 x Re-sealable plastic bag for content disposal
1 x User Guide

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2 GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The Elcometer 139 Amine Blush Swab Test Kit is a rapid colorimetric test for identifying thepresence of amine blush (carbamates) on the surface of coatings using surface swabs. The
presence of amine blush is indicated by a visual change of colour of the test solution vs a control
sample. The Elcometer 139 simply determines whether amine blush is or is not present on thecoating’s surface, it does not in anyway quantify the degree of amine blush present. For more
information see Section 7 on page 6.
3 TEST PRINCIPLE

The Elcometer 139 Amine Blush Swab Test is a colorimetric assay (a modification of the EllmanMethod) for the detection of amine blush, based on the inhibition of the enzyme Acetyl
Cholinesterase [ACh-E]. ACh-E hydrolyses acetylthiocholine [ATC], which reacts with5,5'-Dithio-bis(2-Nitrobenzoic Acid) [DTNB], to produce a yellow colour which is compared to acontrol sample visually or using a colorimeter at 405-450nm
4 SAFETY & STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS

Discard samples and reagents according to local, state and federal regulations.
The Elcometer 139 Amine Blush Swab Test Kit should be stored in a cool place, out of direct
sunlight, at temperatures between 4 - 28°C (39 - 82°F). During testing, samples should be brought
to room temperature, 10 - 30°C (50 - 86°F), before use.
3

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5 PREPARING TEST PART A (GREEN) AND TEST PART B (BLUE) SOLUTIONSIn order to maximise product lifetime, Test Parts A and B are supplied from the factory in a freeze
dried state and therefore need to be diluted using the appropriate diluent and transfer pipette. In
order to avoid contamination, the Test Parts, Diluent Parts and pipettes are colour coded.
Whilst preparing Test Part A, use the GREEN colour coding
Whilst preparing Test Part B, use the BLUE colour coding

1To prepare Test Part A (green):
1)
2)

3)
4)
5)

Remove the green bottle cap and dropper tip from theTest Part A bottle
Using the 1ml marker as a guide, remove 1ml of Part A
Diluent - green capped tube, using the appropriately colour
coded transfer pipette
Add the 1ml Diluent into the appropriate Test Part A bottle
Replace the dropper tip and bottle cap and shake the diluted
Test Part A bottle moderately for about 30 seconds.
Wait at least 5 minutes before using the preparedTest Part A Solutions.

To prepare Test Part B (blue):

2-3

1ml

5430 sec

5 min

Follow steps 1-5 above using the blue colour codingwww.elcometer.com

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Dip the cotton portion of a Cotton Swab (q-tip) into theSwab Solution bottle
Remove excess by rolling cotton tip on the inside of the bottle
For each sample, using the Swab Template as a guide, swab a 5
62.5 x 2.5cm (1 x 1") areax3
Wave the Cotton Swab in the air until dry (about 2 minutes)
Place the Cotton Swab into a Sampler Test Tube, replace thetop and shake for 30 seconds
30 secGreen30 sec
Add 3 drops of Test Part A (green cap), shake for 30 seconds
8and incubate (rest) the sample for 30 minutes at room 7
temperature 10 - 30°C (50 - 86°F), avoiding direct sunlight.
x3x2
Add 3 drops of Test Part B (blue cap), shake for 30 seconds
Add 2 drops of Test Part C (yellow cap), shake for 30 seconds
Incubate (rest) the sample for 30 minutes at room temperature,
30 secBlueYellow
avoiding direct sunlightRemove and environmentally dispose of the Cotton Swab
91011
Visually compare the results to the control sample within
10 minutes of test completion: Amine blush is present if there
is a detectably lower intensity of yellow colour observed in
30 minthe test sample as compared to the control sample.

30 min

C2
3

1

A

1

A comparison control sample should be created byfollowing steps 1, 2 & 4-11, below

Ben

6 TAKING A SWAB SAMPLE

30 secwww.elcometer.com

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7 THE IMPORTANCE OF AMINE BLUSH DETERMINATION

Amines and amine functional amides are one of the most common curing agents for highperformance epoxy coatings. In coating applications, amine cured epoxy formations generally canbe cured at room temperature to yield films with high mechanical strength; good water, chemicaland corrosion resistance, as well as excellent adhesion properties.
When using amine cured epoxy resin coatings in a multi-layer system, if the original coating curesin a low ambient temperature and / or in a high humidity environment, problems - referred to in theindustry as amine blush - can develop. Amines that have migrated to the coating surface can reactwith the carbon dioxide (CO2) present in the air, ultimately resulting in the formation of amine blush(carbamates) on the surface of the epoxy coating.
The presence of amine blush can lead to inter-coat adhesion failures if the film is re-coated.
It is therefore important to determine if the coating exhibits the phenomenon of amine blush when:1
2

Determining if an amine cured epoxy coating can be over coatedAnalysing why an epoxy coating could not be successfully over coatedAmine blush can sometimes (but not often) be visible to the naked eye - appearing as a thin spottyor greasy layer ranging in colour from white to amber

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8 DISCLAIMER

The Elcometer 139 Amine Blush Swab Test Kit is an indicative test used to identify the presence ofamine blush. It is not an quantitative test of the amount of amine blush present on the surface. This
test is extremely sensitive and may detect even minor amounts of amine blush. The coatingsindustry has not yet established the critical threshold for the amount of amine blush that will causeinter-coat delamination.
If a positive result is obtained, the user should contact the coating manufacturer to determine
whether additional surface treatment is required prior to application of subsequent coats.
Note:

Laboratory analysis such as infrared spectroscopy can be used as a method to determine
whether amine blush (carbamates) are present.

9 LIMITATIONS / POSSIBLE TEST INTERFERENCE

Numerous organic and inorganic compounds commonly found in samples have been tested andfound not to interfere with this test method. Due to the high variability of compounds that may befound in surface samples, however, test interferences by matrix effects cannot be completely
excluded. Mistakes in handling the test can also cause errors. Possible sources for such errors
include:Inadequate storage conditions of the test kit - the test kit should be stored at temperatures
between 4 - 28°C (39 - 82°F)
Too long or too short a incubate or rest time (incubate time: 30 minutes)
Leaving the test during incubation in direct sunlight
Extreme temperature swings during testing
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