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RUser Guide
Elcometer 139
Amine Blush Chip Screen Test Kit

CONTENTS

1Box Contents

6Preparing a Chip Sample

2General Description

7The 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: 310g (10.9oz).
A Material Safety Data Sheet is available to download via our website, https://downloads.elcometer.com/MSDS/elcometer_139_amine_blush_chip_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-0528 Issue 05 - Text with cover 23472

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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 Scissors
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 Chip Screen Test Kit is a rapid colorimetric test for identifying thepresence of amine blush (carbamates) on the surface of coatings using small chips or shavings.
The presence of amine blush is indicated by a visual change of colour of the test solution vs acontrol sample. The Elcometer 139 simply determines whether amine blush is or is not present on
the coating’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 is a colorimetric assay (a modification of the Ellman Method) for the detection ofamine blush, based on the inhibition of the enzyme Acetyl Cholinesterase [ACh-E]. ACh-E
hydrolyses acetylthiocholine [ATC], which reacts with 5,5'-Dithio-bis(2-Nitrobenzoic Acid) [DTNB], toproduce a yellow colour which is compared to a control sample visually or using a colorimeter at405-450nm. When using a colorimeter, make sure that the chip samples area is small enough not tointerfere with the colorimeter light path.
4 SAFETY & STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS

Discard samples and reagents according to local, state and federal regulations.
The Elcometer 139 Amine Blush Chip Screen 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.
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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. Inorder 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 the
Test 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 prepared
Test Part A Solutions.

To prepare Test Part B (blue):2-3

1ml5430 sec

5 min

Follow steps 1-5 above using the blue colour coded materials
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Collect sample fragments (small chips or shavings) of the coatingb
sample to be tested. The total sample size should be a
3 - 6.5mm
approximately 13mm long by 3 - 6.5mm wide (1/2" long by 1/8 - 1/4"
3 - 6.5mm
1/8 - 1/4"
1/8 - 1/4" wide) - or enough shavings to approximate that size.
13mm
1/2"
b
Cut into 3 - 6.5mm (1/8 - 1/4") lengths and place the chips(or shavings) into a Sampler Test Tube and replace the cap.
To Test the Sample:
Note:
A comparison control sample without chips should be2
1x3
created by following steps 1-6, below.
1
Add 3 drops of Test Part A (green cap) to the Sampler Test Tube
containing the chip samples, and shake for 30 seconds
Green30 sec
30 min2
Incubate (rest) the sample for 30 minutes at room temperature34
10 - 30°C (50 - 86°F), avoiding direct sunlight.
x3
x2 x2
3
Add 3 drops of Test Part B (blue cap), shake for 30 seconds4
Add 2 drops of Test Part C (yellow cap), shake for 30 seconds
5Incubate (rest) the sample for 30 minutes at room temperature
Blue30 sec
30 secYellow
10 - 30°C (50 - 86°F), avoiding direct sunlight.
6Visually compare the results to the control sample within 5
6
10 minutes after test completion. Amine blush is present if
there is a detectably lower intensity of yellow colour
observed in the test sample as compared to the control
30 minsample.
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6 TAKING A SWAB CHIP SAMPLE

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7 THE IMPORTANCE OF AMINE BLUSH DETERMINATIONAmines 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, chemical
and 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:
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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 Chip Screen Test Kit is an indicative test used to identify thepresence of amine blush. It is not an quantitative test of the amount of amine blush present on thesurface. This test is extremely sensitive and may detect even minor amounts of amine blush. The
coatings industry has not yet established the critical threshold for the amount of amine blush thatwill cause inter-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 completelyexcluded. 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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