Lab Testing

immersion testing

Laboratory Methods for Simulating Various Service Environments by Immersion Testing

IntroductionThere are a wide range of immersion environments where protective coatings (liquid or powder), sheet materials, or rubber linings may be expected to protect an asset. Some of the environments range from basic water immersion to chemical immersion with perhaps high pressure and elevated temperatures. The most widely protected assets are constructed of concrete and […]

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color measurement

Evaluating Color: Systems and Instruments – Color Measurement

The human eye can interpret over a million colors. There are three types of photoreceptors in the human eye that are responsible for interpreting a different range of wavelengths: long, medium, or small, or red, green, or blue sensitive wavelengths. Many factors can impact the way color is perceived including the light source and the

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pigments lab testing

Methods for Determining the Percent Pigment in Paints and Coatings

Introduction Pigments play a critical role in paint and coatings. Insufficient or excess quantities of pigments can adversely impact the appearance and performance, so it is important to be able to reliably measure the percent of pigment in the formulated product. Furthermore, due to differences in paint types, there are various methods for quantifying the

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adhesion testing

Selecting an Adhesive for Tensile (Pull-Off) Adhesion Testing

Introduction One of the more frequently asked questions when it comes to testing the tensile strength of industrial protective coatings is, “What glue should I use to attach the loading fixture?” This brief article lists the standard test methods for evaluating tensile adhesion and describes some of the considerations when selecting an adhesive. Standardized Test

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Performance Testing of Exterior Wood Coatings

Wood is one of the most utilized building materials for exterior structures. Like most exterior substrates, wood structures need protection from the environment. While some wood types are naturally resistant to the environment (e.g., cedar) and some wood is treated with chemicals to preserve its integrity (wolmanized timber), paints and coatings are used to both

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pavement marking material

Pavement Marking Materials

Pavement marking materials are relied upon to not only to guide drivers to maintain their respective lane position to deter accidents but also for regulatory and directional purposes. Because of their functions, they must withstand many different types of wear and still perform as required. This article describes pavement marking materials including the different types

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Using Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) for Evaluating Coating Performance in the Laboratory

Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) can be a useful tool for differentiating today’s high-performance coating systems.  These advanced coatings with their improved barrier properties perform longer in-service environments that are notoriously challenging. The use of accelerated weathering/corrosion testing in the laboratory to differentiate coating performance is still viable, but can take a year or longer, versus

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Exterior Service Finish Coat Performance: A Comparison of Acrylic Polyurethane, Polyester Polyurethane, Polyaspartic, Fluorourethane and Polysiloxane Coatings

Introduction For decades, traditional aliphatic acrylic polyurethane topcoats were the mainstay as finish coats for exterior environments where resistance to solar radiation (sunlight) was desired to preserve color and gloss and provide corrosion and chemical resistance. However, ultraviolet light degradation of the urethane resin would cause a color shift (fading) and gloss reduction of the

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