Painted products and coatings, Materials Testing, Materials Testing Centre

Painted products and coatings

In order to prevent defects in post-production or, at least, to determine the causes defects and failures that may occur on the products, It is important to verify the characteristics of the coatings with regard to thickness, hardness, adhesion to the substrate, color, resistance to corrosion and to climatic agents, bearing in mind the scope of use.

CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
For chemical analysis of the surface protection layers, depending on the type of coating, several analytical techniques may be used:

INORGANIC OR METALLIC COATINGS: SEM/EDS ANALYSIS
ORGANIC COATINGS (ES: PAINT): FT-IR ANALYSIS

PHYSICAL AND MECHANICAL TESTS
To verify the characteristic parameters of the coatings concerning the properties required to them, several physical-mechanical tests may be conducted in order to obtain specific information such as the thickness of the coating and the verification of the treatments it has sustained (conversions , ...), brightness, color, hardness, adhesion or resistance to breakage due to violent deformation of the support. In this context, TEC Eurolab Srl is able to conduct the following physical and mechanical tests:

PAINT ADHESION BY MEANS OF CROSS CUT TEST
PAINT ADHESION BY MEANS PULL-OFF TESTER
PAINT HARDNESS BY MEANS OF PENCIL TEST
GLOSSINESS BY MEANS OF GLOSSMETER
COLOR EVALUATION BY MEANS OF SPECTROPHOTOMETER
BEND TEST
IMPACT TEST
DETERMINATION OF FILM THICKNESS BY MEANS OF EDDY CURRENT METHOD
MEASUREMENT OF THICKNESS BY MICROSCOPE EXAMINATION OF SECTION

CONDITIONING
Tests can be conducted to determine the behavior of paints and other types of coatings to prolonged exposure to conditions of temperature / humidity defined in accordance with the requirements of the coating or product specifications. These tests provide an indication of the likely performance that can be achieved under severe conditions of exposure when, for example, sudden temperature changes or prolonged exposure to high temperatures occur.
The procedures may show damage to the coating (blisters, spots, softening, wrinkling, detachment and embrittlement) and deterioration of the support. TEC Eurolab Srl is able to conduct the following tests of conditioning:

HIGH TEMPERATURE CONDITIONING
LOW TEMPERATURE CONDITIONING (DOWN TO -50 °C)
THERMAL CYCLES WITH CONTROLLED RATE OF CHANGING
COMBINED CLIMATE CYCLE WITH CONTROL OF TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY

RESISTANCE TO CORROSION
On paints and coatings may be conducted tests of resistance to corrosion in salt spray (NSS), acetic acid salt spray (AASS) and copper acetic acid salt spray (CASS) in accordance with ASTM B117 and ISO 9227 on metals and alloys, metallic coatings (anodic and cathodic), conversion coatings, anodic oxidation coatings and organic coatings on metal material:

NEUTRAL SALT SPRAY TEST
ACETIC ACID SALT SPRAY TEST
COPPER ACCELERATED ACETIC ACID SALT SPRAY TEST
CYCLIC CORROSION TEST
HOT HUMID WITH CONTINUOUS CONTENSATION
WATER IMMERSION RESISTANCE TEST

AGING
In order to evaluate the behavior of paints and coatings in particular atmospheric or exposure conditions (humidity, temperature, sunlight, UV exposure) may be conducted accelerated aging tests in order to reproduce in the laboratory situations particularly severe. As a result of the aging test, a visual evaluation of the result is made and / or may be conducted further investigations on the specific characteristics requested to the coating under examination.

ACCELERATE AGING TO SOLAR RADIATION (AIR COOLED XENON LAMP)
WHEATHERING (AIR COOLED XENON LAMP)
UV RADIATION AGING
ALTERNATED CYCLES TO CORROSION AND WHEATHERING

RESISTANCE TEST TO CHEMICAL AGENTS
For coatings, resistance tests to chemical agents are useful for the determination of the resistance to liquids and/or chemical agents but in particular these tests are used for paints. The method to be used depends on the particular requirements of the product, the type of coating and the chemical agent should be chosen from those with whom, presumably, the product may come into contact with during its lifetime.
The various methods allow to assess the effect of the liquid and/or a chemical agents on the painted surface and, possibly, to evaluate the defect caused. TEC Eurolab is able to perform the following specific tests on paints and surface coatings:

RESISTANCE BY DROP APPLICATION
RESISTANCE BY IMMERSION
RESISTANCE BY APPLICATION OF SOAKED CLOTH