DSS-Ch.04.02 — Adhesive Remover Staining Pattern

Adhesive remover staining is an appearance change produced when label/film/PSA residue is treated with adhesive removers (e.g., citrus terpenes, glycol ethers, amines, mixed solvents). Incomplete lift and smear leave directional wipe veils, halos, and overlap lines; substrate may remain non-etched (often), but prolonged dwell/hot application can yield very shallow micro-texture. Classification is appearance-only per VIS (method-agnostic). Inspect after Non-Invasive Reveal under VIS lighting/geometry; record surface numbering and worked-surface status. Treat fresh/unknown liquids as hazardous; document visually per site safety.

• Directional wipe tracks radiating from a label/sticker site or protective-film edge, with lens-shaped halos and hard overlap boundaries where wipes ended.
• Sheen/contrast shift in specular view; under raking, a thin veil remains in the wiped direction.
• May include islands of tenacious PSA (tacky specks) along wipe trails; nearby you may find removed film backings or rag/pad lint.

Surface-catch class (MSRT)

• SC-0 on the clean substrate once true residues are fully lifted (non-etch case).
• SC-1 (slight) may be observed where hot/strong remover and pressure caused very shallow modeled texture; SC-2 is uncommon.
• Perform one light, non-marring pass on a revealed test patch only (substrate), not across gummy islands. Use polymer stylus if a coating is suspected. MSRT supports classification only.

Visual signature

• Wipe-direction veils with overlap lines and terminal “comma” ends; lens halos around former labels.
• No chip-flank sparkle or continuous line scoring; no discrete fused nodules/pits (separates from hot-particle).

Viewing / lighting

• Evaluate clean & dry at 12 / 36 / 72 in, with normal incidence and oblique sweep (~60°-120°); use raking light to reveal veiling and overlap boundaries. Record distances/angles in-frame.

Location / access

• Record pane ID and surface numbering (#1-#4; laminate-internal). If fixed parallax indicates between-pane (e.g., cavity film from failed IGU laminate/labels), classify CAT-5 by location.

Mechanism cue (context)

• Partially removed sticker/film, adhesive-remover bottles, rag/pad debris, or construction clean-off zones. Often present near shipping labels, temporal protection films, or security decals.

Assign CAT by visibility impact and MSRT after a controlled reveal on a small patch to distinguish film vs. micro-texture. Depth values are indicative-field measurement not required.

• CAT-1 (Benign / non-relief): Optical veiling only, SC-0 on clean substrate; visible primarily in raking at certain angles. Indicative relief: 0-10 μm (optical).
• CAT-2 (Light): Subtle modeled micro-texture along wipe paths, SC-1; limited impact at standard view. Indicative relief: 10-40 μm.
• CAT-3 (Moderate): SC-1 to SC-2 veiling/matting legible at standard distance across a broad wipe network with distinct overlap lines. Indicative relief: 40-120 μm.
• CAT-4 (Severe): Rare for adhesive removers alone; consider mixed chemistry (alkaline/solvent stack) if pronounced matte fields appear across wide areas (then re-evaluate under Ch.04.03 or Ch.02 family). Indicative relief: 120-300 μm+.
• CAT-5 (by condition/location): Between-pane/inaccessible by parallax, integrity indicators (cracking/pane movement), or confirmed functional-coating loss on the surface to be worked → CAT-5.

CAT is appearance-based; acceptance is separate under VIS-A §6 at 12/36/72 in. Do not abrade to “force” film removal during classification.

• vs. Paint remover/solvent bloom (Ch.04.01): Solvent bloom footprints often have softer edges and global matting; adhesive-remover staining shows clear wipe directionality and overlap lines tied to label sites.
• vs. Residual PSA film (R.01.05/R.01.06): Active PSA residue is tacky, lifts with appropriate film-lift methods, and once removed the substrate reads SC-0; staining persists optically if incomplete.
• vs. Mechanical swirls (M.02.01): Abrasive swirls present arcs/tracks with edge sparkle and SC-1/SC-2 along lanes; adhesive veils are sheety with wipe vectors, not discrete abrasive tracks.
• vs. Mineral staining/etch (Ch.03): Mineral conditions track spray/run geometry and may yield ring/arc halos; adhesive-remover staining centers on label/film locations with wipe vectors.
• vs. Coating anomalies (Co-family): Coating rub/patchiness follows coating-face logic and lacks label-centric geometry; on a worked coated surface, any anomaly is not permitted at acceptance (VIS §6.2.e).

• Photo set (VIS): 12 / 36 / 72 in, normal + oblique; include raking macros showing wipe vectors, overlap lines, and lens halos; add context frames (labels/film remnants, remover bottles/cloths). Record distance/angle in-frame.
• MSRT result: One light, non-marring pass on a clean test patch; record SC-class (expect SC-0 for film-only; SC-1 if shallow micro-texture exists). Polymer stylus if coating is suspected.
• Forms: Pane ID; product family & surface numbering; worked surface Y/N; functional coating present on worked surface? (Y/N/Unknown); reveal status; lighting/time; geometry checklist; photos attached.
• Acceptance split: Post-restoration acceptance per VIS-A §6; classification ≠ acceptance. Coated-face appearance rules apply per VIS §6.2.e.

• Ch.04.02 Adhesive Remover Staining - Directional wipe veils/overlap lines centered on [label/film site] on surface #___; post-reveal test patch shows [SC-0/SC-1] on substrate; visible at [12/36/72 in] under VIS geometry. Morphology: lens halos, wipe vectors, soft matting; no chip-flank sparkle or discrete pepper. Classification: CAT-[1/2/3/4] by relief/visibility; CAT-5 if between-pane, integrity cues, or coating-side loss on the surface to be worked. Forms + photo set attached; acceptance per VIS-A §6.