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Trial Number 13

Trial Purpose:

To determine the coefficient of friction for additional floor finishes.

Date Run:

06/24/2005

Experiment Procedure:

Control of Moisture Content and Temperature
The moisture content at the time of testing will influence results due to the hydroscopic nature of the base materials. Therefore, efforts must be taken to ensure that the moisture content and temperature remain constant during the evaluation period. Ideally, the sample floor should be kept at 65+/-1% relative humidity and 68+/-6 F.

During laboratory testing, conditions were slightly drier, 40% relative humidity, but the temperature was within the given temperature range ~70 F).

Sample Preparation
The flooring material supplied was Hardwood flooring made from Red Oak. The boards were ¾” thick, 2 ¼” wide and cut into 8” sections. Some pieces of the flooring had to be sanded prior to making initial thickness readings to remove residual packing tape adhesive. With the boards cut into 8” coupons, three readings were made using a Brown & Sharpe Micrometer to measure each coupons initial board thickness. Each reading was made to 0.001” and the three values were averaged to give a baseline thickness for the coupons. In addition to the thickness baseline, baselines were established for Gloss, Coefficient of Friction, Impact, Small Area Loads. Procedures for each baseline measurements followed the procedures to be outlined.

Following the establishment of the baselines, three coupons were coated with a supplied floor finish according to the manufacturers’ specifications. The finish was applied using a 1” Pure Bristle 1500 paint brush. To ensure consistent coating application, the finish was leveled off using a 10 mils Precision Gage & Tool Co Dow Film Caster. Three coats were used for each floor finish as this was common number of coating layers suggested by the various manufacturers. Each coating layer was allowed to dry for 2 hours prior to the application of the next coat. Completed coupons were allowed to sit for a minimum period of 24 hours before performance evaluations were conducted.

Coefficient of Friction
The ASTM specified apparatus was replaced with an IMASS, Inc SP-102B-3M90 Slip/Peel Tester (Figure 1). Two types of friction coefficients were measured using this instrument. The first, Static CoF, was determined by obtaining the force required to move the specimen from a stationary position. The second, Sliding CoF (or Kinetic), was found by measuring the average force required to maintain movement at a certain rate. Measured forces will have peaks and valleys in the amount of force needed to keep moving. Average these values results and dividing by the weight of the object will result in the desired coefficient.

Figure 1. IMASS Slip/Peel Tester

The Slip/Peel tester was first adjusted to ensure that the device was properly calibrated for the sled weight being used. A coupon was then placed and clamped onto the bed of the device. The speed of the bed was set to 45”/min. The instrument records two values, the peak, the valley and calculates the average. The device was run three times per coupon for measuring the Static CoF and three times to measure the Kinetic CoF. Each coupon’s value was averaged and then the values for each finish (three coupon averages) were averaged to get one value for the Static Coefficient of Friction and one value for the Kinetic Coefficient of Friction. These values for coated samples were compared to the CoF for the same uncoated coupons.

Coefficient of Friction = Ratio of tractive (pulling) force to the normal force (sled weight): CoF = F/N = (Tractive force)/(Normal Force) = (meter reading)/(sled weight)

Trial Results:

Product ID Products Tested:
1 Hydro 202 Satin
6 SafeCoat Satin
7 SafeCoat Gloss

Uncoated     Static     Kinetic  
  Coupon # Peak Valley Average Peak Valley Average
Capitol Hydro 202 Satin 49 706 515 524 561 502 516
    656 496 502 524 456 487
    721 493 498 533 476 485
  50 781 499 532 535 489 512
    681 498 519 531 485 512
    688 497 515 525 491 506
  51 715 532 533 551 536 542
    745 515 524 551 529 540
    775 517 522 555 537 536
SafeCoat BP Satin 2 838 607 648 645 580 609
    734 586 629 642 587 622
    759 588 627 654 577 612
  3 833 612 619 627 590 597
    798 578 593 594 578 584
    813 577 590 600 568 583
  4 729 536 553 577 525 533
    697 506 530 558 513 525
    748 530 538 564 516 529
SafeCoat BP Gloss 11 777 538 624 647 538 614
    769 528 613 642 545 616
    807 542 610 639 541 614
  12 869 619 647 636 587 610
    880 605 626 636 574 604
    864 581 623 636 574 604
  13 771 548 566 563 526 537
    698 551 562 551 520 528
    744 536 561 554 521 538

Summary

Averages   Static     Kinetic  
  Peak Valley Average Peak Valley Average
1 694 501 508 539 478 496
  717 498 522 530 488 510
  745 521 526 552 534 539
  719 507 519 541 500 515
6 777 594 635 647 581 614
  815 589 601 607 579 588
  482 345 356 374 343 351
  691 509 530 543 501 518
7 784 536 616 643 541 615
  871 602 632 636 578 606
  481 362 374 368 347 355
  712 500 541 549 489 525

Coated Results

Coated     Static     Kinetic  
  Coupon # Peak Valley Average Peak Valley Average
Capitol Hydro 202 Satin 49 859 636 677 807 664 723
    891 667 694 821 678 728
    833 695 710 794 669 729
  50 1485 1024 1169 1228 986 1097
    1261 1001 1126 1172 979 1084
    1212 969 1097 1178 956 1079
  51 1021 765 877 996 869 947
    1000 895 934 1100 928 1019
    1037 891 965 1062 916 1000
SafeCoat BP Satin 2 829 603 628 646 571 589
    750 502 621 804 582 607
    813 434 620 658 572 599
  3 827 578 620 624 557 593
    858 577 604 613 565 593
    935 574 601 618 587 590
  4 936 571 613 625 550 581
    885 554 589 657 544 574
    812 547 584 664 545 571
               
SafeCoat BP Gloss 11 1036 605 749 940 619 759
    834 708 735 855 604 761
    1046 728 761 975 736 761
  12 988 569 783 1067 631 800
    1184 553 789 1065 657 797
    1227 564 789 1047 779 801
  13 920 577 714 977 582 730
    1031 634 720 995 613 740
    892 493 735 743 698 720

Summary

Averages   Static     Kinetic  
  Peak Valley Average Peak Valley Average
             
1 861 666 694 807 670 727
  1319 998 1131 1193 974 1087
  1019 850 925 1053 904 989
  1067 838 917 1018 849 934
6 797 513 623 703 575 598
  873 576 608 618 570 592
  878 557 595 649 546 575
  849 549 609 657 564 589
7 972 680 748 923 653 760
  1133 562 787 1060 689 799
  948 568 723 905 631 730
  1018 603 753 963 658 763

Success Rating:

A cleanliness study, addressing only various analytical techniques.

Conclusion:

Both SafeCoat BP Gloss and Capitol Hydro 202 Satin had substantial increases to the static and Kinetic CoFs. These increase were similar to the increase for the Pro Finisher Water Based Polyurethane from the previous trial.

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