Results from an interlaboratory exercise to validate the micro-scale abrasion test

Abstract

The mico-scale abrasion test has become very popular in recent years for the measurement of the abrasive wear of coatings and other materials. A EU-funded project has just been completed that had the aim of developing the test method, and revising the existing CEN ENV for the test into a full standard. Key aspects of the project were concerned with the accuracy of measurements, the repeatability and reproducibility of the test method through an interlaboratory exercise, and the industrial applicability of the measurement method to different types of coatings. The main measurement methods that can be applied are optical measurements and profilometry. Here, it was found that profilometry measurements gave important information on the shape of the crater produced during the test, but optical measurements were found to be adequate in most cases. The reproducibility of the optical measurements was found to be about 2% when the results of different laboratories were compared. Fourteen organisations participated in the interlaboratory exercise. This found reasonable reproducibility and repeatability for the measurement method. The paper concludes by describing the procedure that was recommended at the end of the project, and is likely to be adopted in CEN, ASTM and ISO standards.