Abrasion Resistance of Bathroom and Kitchen Fixture Coatings

Shutterstock | Prasit Rodphan

Kitchen and bathroom faucets are available in many different shapes and finishes. Before applying a coating or finish to the product, the manufacturer may attempt to ascertain the resistance of the coating to abrasion by performing a Taber Rotary Abraser test on a flat panel.

Although this test is useful in ensuring that the finish satisfies the requirements of the company, it does not allow the manufacturer to replicate real world damage that might take place when a consumer tries to clean the product. Therefore, another method has to be utilised.

Analysis

A European faucet producer approached an authorized Taber distributor requesting a technique to assess wear generated during regular “everyday” cleaning. The distributor secured sample faucets and submitted them to Taber for assessment using the “TABER-Test” Program.

As faucets have irregular shapes, the Taber Linear Abraser is an ideal instrument for testing their surface finish. Additionally, as there are many types of cleaning chemicals and supplies for consumers to choose from, Linear Abraser optional test attachments can be chosen to reflect this and replicate “everyday, real-life” cleaning. After assessing the parts, Taber wear experts confirmed that the Linear Abraser was the most suitable instrument and eventually carried out a series of tests to evaluate the samples.

Preliminary experiments were conducted dry, without any chemicals or cleaning solution, utilizing the Scotch Brite^® Abrasive Pad Kit. Within a short period of time, marring occurred on the surface finish, indicating that the consumer is likely to damage the finish without much effort if they used a Scotch Brite^® Pad to clean their faucet.

As the manufacturer was keen to distinguish themself from their competition, this quick study proved helpful in highlighting the potential of the Linear Abraser as a tool to assess their present coating formulations.

To simulate other cleaning methods, Taber suggested two other attachments: the CS-5 Jumbo Felt Wearaser to assess rubbing resistance with cleaning solutions, and the 45° Multi-Mar Scratch Attachment to simulate scratching that may occur from jewelry or other items coming into contact with the faucet.

Benefit

Although there are no standardized approaches to cleaning kitchen bathroom or faucets, this manufacturer realized that the Linear Abraser offers an instrumented technique that can be integrated into their own internal testing requirements. Regardless of whether a consumer is using harsh household chemicals or using a Scotch Brite^® Pad to remove hard water deposits, the Linear Abraser provides a scientific approach to help assess coating formulations.

This information has been sourced, reviewed and adapted from materials provided by Taber Industries.

For more information on this source, please visit Taber Industries.