What Is Taber Abrasion?
The Taber abrasion test is a test in which the specimen, on a rotating turntable, is abraded under two abrasive wheels for a specified number of cycles. The result is given as mass loss, an abrasion index, or the number of cycles until the coating breaks through.
Purpose of Taber Abrasion
The purpose is to compare the wear resistance of coatings and hard surfaces in a standard, repeatable arrangement.
Which Products Is Taber Abrasion Applied To?
- Paint and powder coatings
- Plastic sheet and panel
- Floor and furniture surfaces
- Anodised and galvanised coatings
- Printed surfaces
In Which Sectors Is Taber Abrasion Used?
Standards Related to Taber Abrasion
- ASTM D4060
- ISO 9352
- ISO 5470-1
- ASTM D1044
Taber Abrasion Conditions
- Wheel type
- Defined in the standard (e.g. CS-10, CS-17, H-18)
- Load
- Typically 250 g, 500 g or 1000 g per wheel
- Number of cycles
- Defined in the specification (e.g. 100, 500, 1000 cycles)
- Wheel refacing
- The abrasive surface is refaced at the intervals defined in the standard
Equipment for Taber Abrasion
- Taber abraser
- Abrasive wheel set
- Precision balance
- Vacuum dust-extraction rig
- Conditioning room
Sample Requirements for Taber Abrasion
- Specimen typically 100 × 100 mm, or a disc sized for the machine
- The centre hole must be sized to fit the machine spindle
- Initial mass must be measured on a precision balance
- Coating thickness must be recorded
Duration of Taber Abrasion
It depends on the number of cycles. A 1000-cycle test typically takes around an hour; high-cycle tests can reach one working day.
Taber Abrasion Procedure
- 1The specimen is conditioned and its initial mass is measured.
- 2The wheels and load specified are fitted.
- 3The wheel surface is refaced.
- 4The test is run up to the defined number of cycles.
- 5The specimen is cleaned and its mass is remeasured.
- 6Mass loss and the abrasion index are calculated.
Taber Abrasion Acceptance Criteria
The acceptance criterion is given in the specification as a maximum mass loss after a specified number of cycles, or the coating not breaking through.
Evaluation of Results
Mass loss and visual assessment are used together. Results cannot be compared when wheel type or load changes, which is why the specification fixes them.
Taber Abrasion Report
- Standard applied
- Wheel type, load and number of cycles
- Initial and final mass, mass loss
- Abrasion index
- Visual assessment and photographs
Accreditation
EUROLAB holds internationally recognised accreditation obtained from accreditation bodies party to the IAF and ILAC multilateral recognition arrangements, under ISO/IEC 17025 for laboratory testing, ISO/IEC 17020 for inspection and surveillance, and ISO/IEC 17021-1 and ISO/IEC 17065 for system and product certification. This chain ensures the reports and certificates issued are accepted worldwide.
Whether this test can be offered within accredited scope depends on your product and the standard applied; since accreditation is method-based, the scope is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.
Scope and authorisationsRelated Regulations
- Coating performance specifications
- Furniture and floor-covering standards
Mekanik Testler — What Does This Testing Field Cover?
The section below describes the field that the Taber Abrasion test belongs to; the conditions and acceptance criteria of this particular test are given in the sections above. The scope specific to your product is confirmed in writing at the quotation stage.
Mechanical testing measures how a material or a part behaves under force. The family ranges from static loading (tension, compression, bending) to time-dependent behaviour (fatigue, creep), and from hardness and wear to fracture toughness.
What these tests have in common is that the result is reported as a MATERIAL PROPERTY. Yield strength or hardness is not a conformity decision; it is numerical data against which the design and the product standard will compare. Mechanical test reports are therefore usually an input to an engineering decision rather than to a product approval — material selection, safety factor, life prediction.
The distinction between static and dynamic behaviour is the key to understanding the field. A part may appear entirely unstressed under a static load yet break under repeated loading; fatigue fracture occurs at stresses well below the yield strength and gives no warning. For rotating, vibrating or cyclically loaded parts, a tensile test alone is therefore not sufficient evidence.
Test conditions determine the result, and this is critical for the readability of the report: specimen geometry, loading rate, temperature, conditioning and the gripping arrangement. The same material gives different values under different conditions. In plastics the rate effect is very pronounced, in metals the temperature effect; in composites the specimen orientation changes the result entirely.
Hardness is the most misused measurement in the field. Because it is fast, close to non-destructive and inexpensive, it is often used in place of strength. Conversion tables from hardness to strength exist, but they are APPROXIMATE and depend on the material group; using them as the sole evidence in material acceptance is wrong.
The fracture mechanics side requires a specific competence. Fracture toughness and fatigue crack growth rate measurements make it possible to calculate how long a cracked structure will last; they are the basis of damage-tolerant design in fields such as pressure equipment, aircraft structures and pipelines.
Method groups in this field
Static tests
Tension, compression, bending, shear and torsion. Yield and tensile strength, elongation and modulus of elasticity are obtained.
Impact tests
Charpy and Izod notch impact; the brittle-to-ductile transition behaviour of the material is determined as a function of temperature.
Hardness
Brinell, Vickers, Rockwell, Shore and micro hardness. Valuable for surface treatment depth and local differences in strength.
Fatigue
Force- and strain-controlled axial fatigue, fatigue in bending; S-N curves and the endurance limit.
Creep and stress relaxation
Behaviour under long-term load at high temperature; decisive for boiler, turbine and pressure equipment materials.
Fracture mechanics
Plane-strain fracture toughness, the J integral, CTOD and fatigue crack growth rate.
Wear and friction
Taber and rotating drum abrasion, coefficient of friction measurements.
Commonly confused in this field
- Calculating strength from hardness is approximate; it cannot be used as the sole evidence in material acceptance.
- Adequate static strength does not demonstrate fatigue strength; a cyclically loaded part requires a separate test.
- If test rate and temperature are not reported, the result cannot be compared — especially for polymers and composites.
- A test specimen and the actual part may not give the same value; moulding orientation, weld lines and differences in surface treatment all have an effect.
- A strength value given for a composite without stating the specimen orientation is meaningless.
- ASTM and ISO counterparts measure the same quantity but use different specimen geometries; the results are not treated as directly equivalent.
Which decisions these results support
- Design verification and material selection
- Incoming material control and supplier approval
- Meeting the mechanical requirements of the product standard
- Failure analysis, life prediction and damage tolerance calculation
- Verifying heat treatment and surface treatment processes
Related Tests
Frequently Asked Questions About Taber Abrasion
According to which standard is Taber Abrasion made?
Taber Abrasion is executed in scope ASTM D4060, ISO 9352, ISO 5470-1 and ASTM D1044. The limit values and acceptance criteria to be applied are defined in the product standard; The version valid for your product is confirmed in writing at the offer stage.
Which products does Taber Abrasion apply to?
Mainly applied to Paint and powder coatings, Plastic sheet and panel, Floor and furniture surfaces, Anodised and galvanised coatings and Printed surfaces. Whether your product is included in the scope is determined by examining its technical specifications and intended use.
Under what conditions is Taber Abrasion done?
The determining parameters are: Wheel type — Defined in the standard (e.g. CS-10, CS-17, H-18), Load — Typically 250 g, 500 g or 1000 g per wheel and Number of cycles — Defined in the specification (e.g. 100, 500, 1000 cycles). The full terms are in the "Test Conditions" section on the page and vary depending on the product standard.
What kind of sample is needed for Taber Abrasion?
Specimen typically 100 × 100 mm, or a disc sized for the machine, The centre hole must be sized to fit the machine spindle and Initial mass must be measured on a precision balance. The number of samples is determined according to the product standard and the scope to be reported.
How long does Taber Abrasion take?
It depends on the number of cycles. A 1000-cycle test typically takes around an hour; high-cycle tests can reach one working day. This duration belongs to the experiment itself; sample preparation, queuing and reporting are also evaluated. A realistic schedule for your product is given in the offer.
What is the Taber Abrasion result called "appropriate"?
The acceptance criterion is given in the specification as a maximum mass loss after a specified number of cycles, or the coating not breaking through.