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A military finish is almost never one product. It is a system: clean, pretreat, prime, topcoat, cure, inspect — each step to its own specification, in a defined order. This page decodes the specifications a defense or aerospace buyer actually sees, explains what a QPL listing does and does not cover, and shows how to write the callout so parts come back right the first time.
Most drawings cite one specification and assume the rest. A topcoat number tells a coater what to spray last. It does not say how the surface was cleaned, what pretreatment the substrate needs, which primer goes underneath, what film build each layer has to hit, or what gets inspected before the parts ship. Those are separate documents, and on a defense contract all of them bind.
CARC makes the split explicit. MIL-DTL-53072 is not a paint. It is the application-procedures and quality-control-inspection specification: how a CARC system is put on, and what must be verified — surface condition, solvent wipe, dry film thickness, marring, camouflage requirements, adhesion, corrosion resistance and workmanship. Revision G, 3 August 2021, supersedes Revision F. It requires cleaning to TT-C-490 methods before pretreatment, pretreatment without delay after cleaning, and it lists the permitted primers and topcoats.
That is the number that binds the coater. The material specifications — MIL-DTL-53039, MIL-DTL-64159, MIL-PRF-24712, MIL-PRF-32348 — bind the paint or powder manufacturer instead. Aerospace splits the same way: MIL-PRF-23377 and MIL-PRF-85582 qualify the primer, MIL-PRF-85285 the topcoat, and the process specification is the prime’s own.
A shop quoting a MIL-spec finish without asking most of that is guessing. How we scope this work is set out in buyer and engineer information → and the coating design guide →.
| Specification | What it governs | Where it sits in the stack |
|---|---|---|
| MIL-DTL-53072 | CARC system application procedures and quality-control inspection. Revision G, 3 August 2021, supersedes Revision F. Names permitted primers and topcoats and the inspections required. | Process. The one that binds the applicator. |
| TT-C-490 | Cleaning and pretreatment methods for ferrous surfaces before painting. Called out by MIL-DTL-53072. | Step 1 — cleaning. |
| MIL-DTL-5541 | Chemical conversion coatings on aluminum. Type I contains hexavalent chromium (gold to brown, may be clear); Type II is hexavalent-chromium-free (clear). Class 1A for maximum corrosion protection, painted or bare; Class 3 where low contact resistance is required. | Step 2 — pretreatment on aluminum. A chemical-processing operation, not a paint-line operation. |
| MIL-DTL-53022 | Corrosion-inhibiting epoxy primer, lead and chromate free, ferrous and non-ferrous. Types split by VOC; Type IV adds enhanced corrosion performance (1,000 h salt spray, 40 cyclic cycles). 1.5 ± 0.2 mil DFT. | Step 3 — ground-equipment primer. |
| MIL-DTL-53030 | Water-based epoxy primer, lead and chromate free, 340 g/L VOC maximum. Type II is the water-dispersible enhanced-corrosion grade, Type III portable touch-up kits of the same. 1.5 ± 0.2 mil DFT. | Step 3 — waterborne alternative to 53022. |
| MIL-PRF-23377 | Solvent-borne high-solids epoxy primer for aircraft, 340 g/L VOC maximum. Type I standard pigments, Type II low infrared reflective. Class C1 barium chromate, C2 strontium chromate, N non-chromate. 0.6–0.9 mil DFT. Revision K. | Step 3 — aerospace primer. |
| MIL-PRF-85582 | Waterborne epoxy primer for aircraft, same Type I / II and Class C1 / C2 / N scheme, 340 g/L maximum, 0.6–0.9 mil DFT. Revision E, 16 October 2012. | Step 3 — aerospace primer, waterborne. |
| MIL-DTL-53039 | Single-component solvent-borne aliphatic polyurethane CARC topcoat, moisture cure. Revision E, 16 May 2013, defines types by VOC content from 180 g/L down to zero. Around thirty approved colors; camouflage colors carry gloss caps and near-infrared reflectance limits. Minimum 2 ± 0.2 mil. | Step 4 — CARC topcoat. Effectively indefinite pot life, so it moves faster through a shop. |
| MIL-DTL-64159 | Water-dispersible aliphatic polyurethane CARC topcoat, multi-component kit, roughly 1.8 lb/gal VOC. Type I uses silica flatting agents; Type II uses polymeric bead flatting and holds scuff, mar, impact, color and gloss far better. | Step 4 — CARC topcoat. Roughly four-hour pot life, longer flash-off and air-dry. |
| MIL-PRF-22750 | High-solids epoxy topcoat. MIL-DTL-53072G permits it on interior surfaces only. | Step 4 — interior only. |
| MIL-PRF-85285 | Polyurethane topcoat for aircraft and support equipment, supplied as a kit. Type I aircraft, Type II support equipment, Type III low-VOC (50 g/L), Type IV aircraft extended weatherability. Class H high-solids, Class W water-borne. Applied over MIL-PRF-23377 or MIL-PRF-85582. | Step 4 — aerospace topcoat. |
| MIL-PRF-24712 | Thermosetting powder coatings. Naval in origin: metallic equipment, furniture, electrical enclosures, non-immersion interior and exterior service. Revision B, 11 February 2014, restructured the type scheme; Revision A used twelve types across three service classes. Supersedes MIL-C-24712. | Powder. Check the revision before you cite a type. |
| MIL-PRF-32348 | Powder coating, camouflage chemical agent resistant systems. Active — 23 November 2010 base document, Amendment 1 in 2013, Notice 2 validation 2018. Types I and II are powder primers; Type III the camouflage finish over epoxy primer. MIL-DTL-53072G lists it in both its primer and topcoat menus. | Powder CARC. Yes, CARC in powder exists. |
| AMS-STD-595 | Color standard. Replaced FED-STD-595 on 14 February 2017. | Color and gloss band only. Not a coating specification. |
MIL-DTL-53072G also permits MIL-DTL-53084 cathodic electrodeposition primer and MIL-PRF-32550 metal-rich primer; neither is an ordinary job-shop spray operation. The MIL-spec coating cross-reference → maps common callouts to processes that actually exist, and the powder specification is broken out on MIL-PRF-24712 powder coating →. Cite the revision: MIL-DTL-53039 and MIL-PRF-24712 have both renumbered their types, so “Type II” means different things depending on which document you hold.
MIL-PRF-24712, MIL-PRF-23377, MIL-PRF-85582, MIL-PRF-85285, MIL-DTL-53022, MIL-DTL-53030, MIL-DTL-53039 and MIL-DTL-64159 all require the material to be listed before contract award. That qualification testing is performed on the coating material, for the manufacturer, at a named plant. Federal regulation defines a qualified products list as a list of products meeting the specification’s qualification requirements, identified with the manufacturer’s name and plant address.
The listing belongs to the paint or the powder. It does not belong to the shop that sprays it. No coating applicator is, or can be, “QPL listed to MIL-PRF-24712” — or to MIL-PRF-23377, MIL-PRF-85285, MIL-DTL-53039 or MIL-DTL-64159. A shop claiming it has misread its own supply chain, and an auditor will find it.
Three things bind the applicator instead: the process and inspection specification, the quality system flowed down in the contract, and the certificate of conformance signed at delivery. So the useful RFQ question is not “are you QPL approved” but which qualified product will you use, who makes it, and will the batch number appear on the certificate? Gleco Paint & Powder claims no QPL listing, FAA approval or Nadcap accreditation; what we do hold is on certifications and approvals →.
CARC resists absorbing chemical warfare agents and survives decontamination. That property lives in the topcoat chemistry, but it only holds if the pretreatment, primer, film build and cure underneath are right — which is why MIL-DTL-53072 governs the whole stack, not the last coat. Film builds run from roughly 0.6–0.9 mil for the thinner primers up to 2.5–3.5 mils for metal-rich primers, with topcoats typically 2.0–2.5 mils minimum before camouflage performance is met. Masking matters as much as spraying: ground straps and bonding pads, connector interfaces, sealing faces and threads must stay clean. Full walk-through on what is CARC coating →; preparation under surface prep, masking and blasting → and masking for coating →.
The five digits are not arbitrary. The first is the gloss band: 1 gloss, 2 semi-gloss, 3 flat. The second is the color group: 0 brown, 1 red, 2 orange, 3 yellow, 4 green, 5 blue, 6 gray, 7 miscellaneous, 8 fluorescent. The last three place the color within its group, roughly light to dark. So 34094 is a flat green — the CARC Green 383 most ground equipment wears. 36375 is a flat gray, common as an aircraft topcoat. 17925 is a gloss white.
A color number is not a specification. It fixes shade and gloss band, nothing else — not chemistry, corrosion performance, infrared signature or chemical agent resistance. Two coatings can both be a perfect 34094 and only one of them can be CARC.
Where camouflage applies, gloss and infrared reflectance are requirements rather than preferences. MIL-DTL-53039E holds most camouflage colors to a maximum 1.0 gloss at 60° and 3.5 at 85°, tighter on Aircraft Green and Interior Aircraft Black, and sets average near-infrared reflectance limits color by color — Dark Green at 60.0 percent maximum, with allowable-ratio checks at specified wavelengths. Same reason MIL-PRF-23377 and MIL-PRF-85582 each offer a Type II with low infrared reflective pigments. Buffing a camouflage finish because it looks dull will fail it.
Buyers rarely specify this on the purchase order, then are surprised by what arrives. It costs nothing to require up front and a great deal to reconstruct afterwards.
A certificate reading only “coated to MIL-spec” is worthless on an audit. It should name:
On a government contract, a certificate of conformance used in place of source inspection must be authorized in writing by the contract administration office under FAR 52.246-15, and it never waives the right to reject later. Put the requirement on the purchase order, not in an email after the parts ship.
“Finish: CARC system applied and inspected per MIL-DTL-53072G. Primer per MIL-DTL-53022, Type IV, 1.5 ± 0.2 mil DFT. Topcoat per MIL-DTL-53039E, Type IV, color 34094 per AMS-STD-595, 2.0 mil minimum DFT. Mask ground-strap pads and connector faces per sheet 2; no coating permitted on masked surfaces. Certificate of conformance to name specification, revision, type, color and material lot.”
Process spec, both material specs with revision and type, color standard, film build, masking and paperwork. Nothing left to the coater’s judgment.
“Pretreatment: MIL-DTL-5541, Type II, Class 1A, by chemical processor prior to coating. Primer: MIL-PRF-23377, Type I, Class N, 0.6–0.9 mil DFT. Topcoat: MIL-PRF-85285, Type I, color 36375 per AMS-STD-595, gloss per specification. Materials to be current QPD-listed products; manufacturer, product number and batch to appear on the certificate of conformance.”
Class N states non-chromate explicitly instead of leaving it inferred. Conversion coating is chemical processing, so the callout says who does it and when — otherwise parts get sequenced wrong.
“Finish: thermosetting powder coating per MIL-PRF-24712B. Type and class to suit exterior, non-immersion service per the specification’s qualification table. Color per AMS-STD-595. Abrasive blast per note 4 prior to coating. Record cure time and part metal temperature. Certificate of conformance to name specification revision, type, class, color, powder manufacturer and lot.”
Revision A required electrostatic application over an abrasive-blasted surface, cure under 30 minutes at 400 ± 10 °F, and 2–4 mil DFT interior dry or 4–6 mil exterior and wet. Revision B restructured the types, so cite the revision. If the part is CARC, the powder route is MIL-PRF-32348, not MIL-PRF-24712.
Everything above is the specification. This is the shop. All paint and powder work runs at 5020 Grisham Drive, Rowlett, Texas, under AS9100D and ISO 9001:2015, ITAR Registered, DFARS and RoHS compliant.
Thermosetting powder under MIL-PRF-24712 and camouflage powder systems under MIL-PRF-32348, applied to the type, class and color your drawing cites, with cure recorded.
Epoxy primers and polyurethane topcoats for ground equipment and aerospace, CARC systems applied and inspected to the process specification flowed down, and bonded dry film lubricant on fasteners and sliding hardware.
Media blasting and cleaning to the callout, masking of ground paths, sealing faces and threads, film thickness verification, and a certificate that names what was actually used.
Ground-equipment work is described on defense and military coating →, airframe and support-equipment work on aerospace coating →. Still choosing a finish family? Start at the finish selector →.
Anodizing, plating and passivation are not done at the Paint & Powder facility, chemical conversion coating included; those are the plating side of the business at glecoplating.com →. Tell us at RFQ what has already been processed and by whom, so the sequence is settled before parts move. Family-owned in Texas since 1979. Finish Well.
No, and no applicator can be. A qualified products listing is granted to a coating material made by a named manufacturer at a named plant. It is a property of the paint or powder, not of the shop that sprays it. What binds the applicator is the process and inspection specification, the quality system flowed down in the contract, and the certificate of conformance. Ask which qualified product a coater will use and whether the batch number appears on the certificate.
No. MIL-C-24712, dated 1989, was superseded by MIL-PRF-24712A, and the current document is Revision B, 11 February 2014. The type scheme changed along the way — Revision A used twelve types across three service classes, Revision B restructured them — so a type number carried forward from an old drawing may not mean what it used to. Send the drawing and we will confirm the equivalent before quoting.
CARC in powder exists as a qualified system. MIL-PRF-32348, “Powder Coating, Camouflage Chemical Agent Resistant Systems”, is active — base document 2010, Amendment 1 in 2013, validated by Notice 2 in 2018. Types I and II are powder primers, Type III the camouflage finish over epoxy primer, and MIL-DTL-53072G lists it in both its primer and topcoat menus. It is not MIL-PRF-24712, a general thermosetting powder specification with no chemical agent resistance requirement. Confirm the type against the revision your drawing cites.
A flat green — the CARC Green 383 used on most tactical ground equipment. The digits decode as 3 for the flat gloss band, 4 for the green color group, 094 placing it within that group. The number fixes shade and gloss band only. It does not make a coating CARC and says nothing about infrared reflectance, corrosion performance or chemistry, so specify the material specification as well as the color.
FED-STD-595 was canceled on 14 February 2017 and replaced by SAE’s AMS-STD-595. The color numbers themselves did not change. Several currently active military specifications still name FED-STD-595 in their own text, so a drawing citing it is not wrong, only older. New drawings should say AMS-STD-595.
Yes, the epoxy primer and polyurethane topcoat portion. A typical stack is a conversion-coated aluminum substrate, MIL-PRF-23377 or MIL-PRF-85582 epoxy primer at 0.6 to 0.9 mil dry film, and MIL-PRF-85285 polyurethane topcoat in the type and color called out. Specify the primer class — C1 barium chromate, C2 strontium chromate or N non-chromate — because that is a different product, not a different mixing ratio. The conversion coating itself is chemical processing and is not done at the Paint & Powder facility.
A certificate of conformance naming the specification, revision, type, class, color and color standard, the material manufacturer, product number and batch or lot, and the parts covered. Process records for cleaning and pretreatment, film thickness readings and cure. Inspection results against whatever the process specification requires — for CARC, surface condition, solvent wipe, film thickness, marring, camouflage requirements, adhesion, corrosion resistance and workmanship. Put the requirement on the purchase order.
We ask. A topcoat number alone does not define pretreatment, primer, film build, cure or inspection, and a coater who fills those gaps silently is making engineering decisions on your behalf. Expect questions about substrate, prior processing, film thickness, masked surfaces and documentation before you get a firm number. That conversation is faster than a rejected first article.
Send the print, the specification callouts with revisions, and the documentation your customer requires. We will tell you what the stack needs and what ships with the parts.
