Our Products #1098607

In practice, three different empirical test procedures are used to assess the resistance of coatings and allied products to cracking andor detachment from the substrate under different conditions of deformation.
Bend Test
Bending lacquered sheet metal over a defined radius allows an indication of the elongation and adhesion of a paint film due to bending stress.

Hardness
The definition of hardness has, in the past, caused misunderstandings within the paint industry. Most coatings are viscoelastic, and hence will indent to some extent.
DIN 55 945 defines hardness as follows:
Hardness is the resistance of a coating to a mechanical force, such as pressure, rubbing or scratching.
In practice, different testing methods are used:
Pendulum Hardness
In accordance with methods described by Knig and Persoz
Indentation Hardness
Buchholz Indentation Testers
Scratch Hardness
Hardness Meter Dur-O-Test
Pencil Hardness
For clear communication of test results, the technician needs to document the type of test method used, for example, Indentation Resistance in accordance with ISO 2815 or Damping Time in accordance with ISO 1522.

Impact Test Falling-weight Test
The impact tester has gained wide acceptance in testing the impact resistance of many types of coatings and substrates.
International standards describe a method for evaluating impact resistance of a coating to cracking and peeling from a substrate when it is subjected to a deformation caused by a falling weight, dropped under standard conditions yielding rapid deformation.
Impact Tester
Consists of a solid base with a guide tube support
The guide tube has a slot to direct a weight that slides inside the guide tube
A collar fits on the tube that helps the user slide the weight up to the accurate height
Graduations are marked along the slot to facilitate readings
Procedure
Place sample under the punch
Lift the weight to desired height on guide tube and let it drop
View the damage of the sample visually or with low powered magnification
Adjust the height and weight of the impacter to determine exact point of failure or establish passfail specifications

In order to control the process variables when applying a coating to a surface, it is often desirable that measurements are made to determine thickness while the coating is still wet. Wet film measurement is done by devices based upon the shape of the surface area, and the expected range of thickness. In addition, wet film measurements are also very useful for coating systems where the dry film thickness can only be measured destructively.
Dry Film Thickness
Measuring coating thickness accurately maximizes quality and minimizes material costs. Dry film checking can be carried out non-destructively or destructively, for e.g. multi-layer applications.

An electronic image available on a personal computer has opened new opportunities to evaluate surface quality and document results. Many physical property tests are evaluated by visual analysis: cross-cut adhesion, impact resistance, flexibility, abrasion
resistance, and scratchmar. An electronic image can be used to provide a more comprehensive evaluation and documentation of the test results.
A digital microscope combined with image analysis software has created a new line of analytical tools to assess appearance. The Print and Paper Industry has developed several tests to maintain product quality. Assessment of the printing process and the papers appearance has well defined measurement parameters.
Digital microscopes offer a comprehensive analytical analysis for an objective evaluation.
Traditional Microscope
BYK-Gardner offers two microscope designs specific for physical property testing. The microscope for the Automated Cupping Tester has a unique design that attaches to the Cupping Tester.
The microscope provides a detailed observation of the test panel.
The Buchholz Indentation hardness tester also requires a specific microscope design to measure the indentation length. The microscope incorporates a graduated scale for a precise assessment.

Conductivity Meter
Provides measurement of electrical conductivity of solvents and solvent borne paint formulations for electrostatic spray applications.
Stainless steel measuring cell and electrodes
Solvent resistant housing
Density Cup
Density is defined as weight per unit volume at a specified temperature. Density cups are used for quality control because errors in paint composition will result in different density readings. Density cups have also been described as liquid pycnometers.
BYK-Gardner Density cups use a cylindrical shape which provides a large opening for easy filling, emptying, and cleaning. The tightly fitted stainless steel covers have an upward slope to a small hole in the center to allow excess sample material to be expelled without entrapping air bubbles, which increases accuracy.
Fineness of Grind Gages
Also called grind gages and Hegman gages. Many types of solid materials must be ground or milled into finer particles for dispersion in appropriate liquid vehicles. The physical properties of the resulting dispersions, often called grinds, depend not only on
the actual size of the individual particles, but also on the degree to which they are dispersed.
The Fineness of Grind Gage is used to indicate the fineness of grind or the presence of coarse particles or agglomerates in a dispersion. It does not determine particle size or particle size distribution.
Grind gages are used in controlling the production, storage, and application of dispersion products produced by milling in the paint, plastic, pigment, printing ink, paper, ceramic, pharmaceutical, food, and many other industries.
Drying Time Recorder
The various stages of drying and curing that occur in films are easy to detect but difficult to define in terms of chemical and physical principles. In order to evaluate them objectively it is necessary to use instrumentation under controlled conditions.
BYK-Gardner offers the versatile BK Drying Time Recorder to help quantify the various stages of film curing and drying, deliver reproducible results, and guarantee highest efficiency:
Simultaneous testing of 6 samples saves time
Three different speeds: 6-12-24 hrs for any application
Alternative speeds available upon request
Permeability Cup
The BYK-Gardner PERM Cup is a shallow cylinder with a threaded flange, flat retaining washer and threaded ring cover. Rubber gaskets are used to tightly seal the specimen between the cup and the ring cover. The cup and cover are knurled for easier handling.
Two different size cups are available:
Large 25 cm cup meets the ASTM standard
Small 10 cm cup allows the use of a smaller specimen and less desiccant

A significant improvement in the recording of oven processes has been made with the temp-gard.
This measurement system stores the analog signals of temperature probes in digital form. A measurement module accompanies the object on its way through the oven without needing a trailing cable. The recording module is protected by a thermal barrier made of stainless steel with absolutely temperature safe insulation.
The digital data is transferred to a computer for further processing.
Each measurement is saved as a file.
The temp-gard system controls the curing process and immediately evaluates the results. Within a few minutes all important information is available on the screen and can be printed out:
The measurement points of the object
Date and time of the measurement
Name of the operator and identification of the oven
Temperatures in F or C
4-color graphic of the entire measurement curve with display of temperature and time
The peak temperature and a warning message occur when the maximum temperature of a probe is above the control value. It is possible to quickly and regularly check and document the quality of daily production. In addition, this temperature measurement system allows control of oven performance without risking loss of quality.

BYK Drawdown Bar film applicators are the highest quality and easiest to clean and maintain due to their simple design and rugged construction. The theoretical wet film thickness is etched onto every drawdown bar. The theoretical wet film thickness is roughly one-half the actual gap clearance.

BYK-Gardner offers a wide range of drawdown cards and charts for virtually any application and coating material. Stringent quality control during the production process assures that they have the most consistent color and gloss in the industry. Test charts are easy to use and an inexpensive substrate to test a variety of
coating properties, such as opacity, spreading rate, penetration behavior, and flow & leveling behavior. They are used for testing architectural, industrial, automotive, wood finishes or even cosmetic products (e.g. nail polish). Depending on the material properties of the product to be tested and its usage different types of drawdown cards are available.

Balances are one of the most universal laboratory instruments used in virtually every lab in the world today. BYK-Gardner offers the Sartorius balances to further enhance our ability to provide a "total solution" for the coatings and plastic laboratory market.
These balances will meet the needs of virtually any lab, from routine QC checks to sophisticated R&D tasks.
The Sartorius brand provides world class performance with a durable, rugged design. BYK-Gardner offers two Sartorius balances series. The Entris Series that are affordable analytical and
toploading balances. The Quintix Series incorporates the latest features of balance design. The product offering includes analytical balances for the most critical weighting tasks and the easy to use toploading design.
When selecting a balance the capacity and the readability are the two most important specifications. The capacity is the maximum limit of the balance. The readability is the minimum unit value that can be displayed. The pan size is another feature that should
be considered.