As the manufacturer of ceramic coating and pioneer of low to zero VOC yet high solids coatings, the R&D team at IGL Coatings are constantly conducting the scrub resistance test to ensure that our line of ceramic coating products are performing to international standards.
What is Scrub Resistance?
To put it simply, scrub resistance is the measurement of durability against wear and tear. Scrub tests are normally conducted to test paint durability, however it can also be used to measure the ability of ceramic coating in resisting wear and degradation. Scrub resistance can be requested by manufacturers and end users who want unbiased results conducted in a controlled laboratory environment. We conduct the scrub resistance tests for ceramic coatings to provide us with solid data that can be relied on by accredited detailers and customers who trust the IGL Coatings line of products. That’s how we can always improve our products.
How the Scrub Resistance Test is Conducted
Following the American Society for Testing & Materials (ASTM) standard, our ceramic coatings are constantly put under improvement experiments. Using the scrubbability instrument, the scrub resistance for our ceramic coatings can be tested in two ways; visual and loss of weight. The emphasis on standard that ASTM put forth for paint is that it should be formulated to withstand scrubbing by nylon brush or cloth for a set number of washing or cleaning cycle when using non-abrasive or abrasive cleaning media. Or if the test is requested by the end user, then the cleaner specified by the requester must be used in the test.
Generally, a scrub resistance test would include these 3 steps that can occur within the timespan of more than a week where black plastic scrub panels will be painted with the test subject. The thickness of the layer painted onto the panel must be specified beforehand by the requester, whether it is the manufacturer or the end user. As we are the manufacturer and we conduct in-house testing in our own laboratory, we coat the panels with IGL Coatings ceramic coating products.
The scrub panels must be dried according to lab conditions to ensure that the results are not affected by the environment. Generally, this will take 7 days before the panels are fully dried and ready.
Once the scrub panels are ready, they will be placed under the scrubbability instrument to go through the abrasion cycle. Again, the number of cycles that these panels go through must be specified beforehand to ensure a constant variable.
By the end of the scrub resistance tests, the R&D team will document their findings on how durable our ceramic coatings are against the abrasion cycles. This is important as we keep improving our products and ingredients to increase durability.
Importance of Scrub Resistance for Ceramic Coating Products
The test ensures that IGL Coatings ceramic coating products maintain the expected visual appearance, avoiding any blistering, softening, or thinning of ceramic coating when exposed to cleaning products and abrasion. Aside from upholding the standards we place on our products, the scrub resistance test is important in creating future prototypes of available products as well as to build more new products that fulfil customers’ needs worldwide.
IGL Coating’s In-house Testing
https://www.facebook.com/iglcoatings/videos/1191874647662150/
By referring to IGL Lab series video we posted, our R&D team had conducted scrub test to compare the performance and durability between ecocoat Premier and Premier V2 prototype (referred as Prototype). The ecocoat Premier and the Prototype was first applied and cured on painted panel, respectively. Instead of black plastic panel, painted steel panel was employed in this testing in order to simulate the real-life application of ecocoat Premier on car body surface. This scrub test was carried out using standard cellulosic sponge that soaked in the water that consist of car shampoo. After 1000 cycles of scrubbing, both panels were cleaned with water and dried for evaluation. Water was sprayed on both panels to observe the hydrophobicity of the panel. As a result, panel that coated with the Prototype retains its hydrophobicity after 1000 cycles, which mean it has a longer durability compared to ecocoat Premier.
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About IGL Coatings
We’re the world pioneer of low to zero VOC nano-technology products that range from ceramic coatings to car shampoo. In line with our vision to empower detailers around the world and stay true to our roots of being eco-friendly, IGL Coatings strive to improve every month with new versions of products and packagings. Read more about us on our website https://iglcoatings.com/. For queries and interest, send them to us through our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/iglcoatings) or Instagram page (https://www.instagram.com/iglcoatings/).
