MAHDI GHASEMI

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Learning Outcomes

Upon completing this module, participants will:

• Understand the purpose of adhesion tests.

• Describe different adhesion testing methods.
• Recognize various types of adhesion test results.

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Adhesion Testing

Adhesion is defined as the sum total of the forces of attachment between a dry paint film (coating)
and its substrate.

If a coating has good adhesion, it will generally perform and protect the substrate that it has been
applied to for the specified design life, and often beyond.

Poor adhesion of a coating can results in coating failure, premature corrosion, contaminated
surfaces or contents (in the case of a vessel or tank), plant or equipment shut down and poor
appearance. Paint chemists have developed coatings that can offer a predicted service life providing
that they are applied to suitably prepared substrates.

Conducting surface preparation and applying coatings in an industrial environment is completely

different to the preparation and coating application of steel panels in a laboratory.

There are many things to consider when preparing and coating structures in field conditions.
Contamination by minute and sometimes invisible contaminants can lead to adhesion problems
within a matter of days or weeks.

Application related problems such as incorrect environmental controls, incorrect coating thickness
or incorrect mixing can also lead to adhesion problems with a coating system.

Some adhesion problems with a coating such as cracking, peeling, delamination are generally
visible, and an assessment can be conducted against visual standards to establish extent.

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Adhesion tests
Adhesion tests may need to be undertaken on coatings without visible defects to determine if there
are any inherent or potential problems, to satisfy specification requirements, checks during ad-hoc
inspections and coating survey for maintenance or refurbishment.

Adhesion tests are frequently undertaken if there is a dispute or guarantee claim.

This training unit will review the types of destructive tests used on coatings in field and laboratory
conditions. We will review the specific international standards used in the coatings industry, and how
to evaluate and report the results.

Improper use of adhesion testing equipment or incorrect interpretation of the results can result in
wasted resources and costs to the asset owner for unnecessary repairs or an acceleration of further
adhesion problems which could have been identified during the survey.

The extent and severity of adhesion tests may assist in providing evidence that the coating adhesion
is good or establish that there is a cohesion issue within some coats of a multi-coat system or
adhesion problems between layers of coatings or at the coating and substrate interface.

The position of the adhesion test can be important.

Adhesion may be good on vertical locations and poor on horizontal locations due to contamination
such as overspray or dust during the coating application.

It is important to agree on the test method, standard and quantity of any tests with the client or owner
in advance of any survey or adhesion test program.

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The coating surveyor should establish the full details of the coating system before conducting any
adhesion tests. The coating should be fully cured.

There are two types of adhesion tests conducted on coatings.

1. A knife test cuts through the coating down to the substrate in the form of an X-cut or a number
of cuts in parallel lines (cross-cut). Diagrams and charts can be used to assess the adhesion.
2. A pull-off test where an aluminium dolly is cemented (glued) onto the coating. The dolly is
pulled away from the coating with an adhesion test apparatus to evaluate the tensile strength
of the coating. The adhesion tester will provide a numerical value in pounds per square inch
(psi) or Mega Pascals (MPa) for adhesion strength.

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X-cut
This adhesion test method is intended primarily for field use. This type of test is easy to carry out and
can be a good indicator of a potential adhesion issue which may require further investigation.

Standards:
ISO 16276-2 – Corrosion protection of steel structures by protective paint systems – Assessment of,
and acceptance criteria for, the adhesion/cohesion (fracture strength) of a coating – Part 2: Cross-
cut testing and X-cut testing

ASTM D6677 – Standard Test Method for Evaluating Adhesion by knife.

ASTM D3359 – Standard Test Methods for Rating Adhesion by Tape Test

Although the above standards are similar, they do have differences and the coating surveyor should
be aware of which standard is being used along with the specific evaluation method and reporting
requirements.

Brief Overview: (ISO 16276)

• Two cuts, resembling an “X” are made into the coating down to the substrate
• The cuts are approx. 40mm in length and intersect in the middle
• The angle of the two cuts is 30-45o
• A piece of Sellotape is placed over the X-cut and pulled back upon itself
• The X-cut is inspected for the extent of removal of coatings
• The adhesion is rated as per the specific standard

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X-cut Adhesion Evaluation Scale

X-cut
In Method A, an X cut is made in the coating film. This method i s used for coating films thicker than
127 μm or 5 mils.

This test should only be conducted by experienced paint personnel as the process can produce
variable results, depending upon:

• The thickness, age, hardness and type of coating

• The sharpness and angle of the blade
• The pressure used during the cut
• Environmental conditions during the test
• Cleanliness of the coating surface which may affect the adhesion of the tape
• Interpretation of the adhesion ratings

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Cross-cut test
This adhesion test method is intended primarily for laboratory use and thin coatings (exact thickness
varies between standards). This test method provides information regarding the resistance to
delamination when a cross-cut lattice pattern is made through the coating.

Standards:

ISO 2409 – Paints and varnishes – Cross-cut test (maximum DFT 250 microns)

ISO 16276-2 – Corrosion protection of steel structures by protective paint systems – Assessment of,
and acceptance criteria for, the adhesion/cohesion (fracture strength) of a coating – Part 2: Cross-
cut testing and X-cut testing (maximum DFT 250 microns)

ASTM D3359 – Standard Test Methods for Rating Adhesion by Tape Test (maximum DFT 125 microns)

Although the above standards are similar, they do have differences and the coating surveyor should
be aware of which standard is being used along with the specific evaluation and reporting
requirements.

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Cross-cut test

Brief Overview: (ISO 16276/2409)

• Establish the dry film thickness to ensure the test method is applicable.
• The dry film thickness will determine the spacing of the cuts (1-3 mm in ISO 2409/ISO 16276-
2) and (1 or 2mm in ASTM D3359)
• The number of parallel cuts to form the lattice varies between the standards (6 in ISO
2409/ISO 16276-2) and 6 or 11 in ASTM D3359).
• The cross-cut is produced by making parallel cuts with the correct spacing through the
coating down to the substrate
• The second series of cuts are made at right angles to the first cuts to form a lattice.

Brief Overview: (ISO 16276/2409)

• Cuts can be made with a blade/knife and a template or a multi-blade instrument
• A piece of Sellotape is placed over the cross-cut and pulled back upon itself
• The cross-cut is inspected for the removal of coatings
• The adhesion is rated as per the specific standard

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Cross-Cut Adhesion Evaluation Scale

This test should only be conducted by experienced paint personnel as the process can produce
variable results, depending upon:

• The thickness, age, hardness and type of the coating

• The sharpness and exact angle of the blade
• The pressure used during the cut.
• Environmental conditions during the test
• Cleanliness of the surface which may affect the adhesion of the tape
• Interpretation of the adhesion ratings

When photographs of the test results are viewed on a computer, the cut or cuts can have a different
appearance compared to the ‘human eye’ of the person conducting the adhesion test resulting in a
possible difference in interpretation.

These test methods maximize shear stress compared to the pull-off test which maximizes tensile
strength.

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Pull-Off Adhesion

The pull-off test is a quantitative adhesion test conducted on paints and coatings. An aluminum dolly
is fixed to the substrate to be tested with the use of an adhesive. An adhesion tester (pull-off gauge)
is attached to the dolly.

A load is increasingly applied to the dolly until detachment occurs.

The test method measures the tensile strength of the coating system, generally in psi (pounds force
per square inch) or MPa (Mega Pascals)

The failure will occur along the weakest plane(s) within the total system, modes of failure are
described below:

1. Adhesive between substrate and coating

2. Adhesive between dolly and coating (glue failure)
3. Adhesive between coats (intercoat failure)
4. Cohesive within one or more coats
5. Combinations of the above

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Pull-Off Test
1. Illustrations of the adhesion failure modes:
 Glue
 Substrate
 Inter-coat (between coats)

2. Illustrations of the cohesive failure modes:

 Between the first coat
 Between the second coat
 Between first and second coat

The cohesive failure could occur between 2nd and 3rd coat and subsequent coats.

3. Illustrations of the failure combinations modes:

 30% cohesive -1st coat, 70% glue.
 60% cohesive -1st coat, 40% glue.
 75% cohesive -1st coat, 25% substrate.
 30% cohesive -2nd coat, 70% substrate.
 30% cohesive -1st coat, 70% cohesive -2nd coat.
 85% cohesive –1st coat, 15% cohesive -2nd coat.

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Pull-off Adhesion Testing

After the dolly has detached from the substrate, the dolly and coating surfaces are evaluated along
with the pressure displayed on the test equipment.

The equipment can be an automatic type or mechanical type.

Although the test results should not be subjective as compared to the X-cut, cross-cut or knife test,
the use of the pull-off gauge and description of the mode(s) of failure can give inconsistent results.

Industry Standards:
ISO 16276-1 – Corrosion protection of steel structures by protective paint systems – Assessment of,
and acceptance criteria for, the adhesion/cohesion (fracture strength) of a coating – Part 1: Pull-off
testing.

ISO 4624 -Paints and varnishes – Pull-off testing adhesion.

ASTM D4541 – Standard test method for Pull-Off strength of Coatings Using Portable Adhesion
Testers

ASTM D7234 – Standard Test Method for Pull-Off Adhesion Strength of Coatings on Concrete Portable
Pull-Off Adhesion Testers

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Brief Overview: (variations exist between standards)

 Select the area to be tested and use the appropriate dolly. Originally only flat surfaces could
be tested; however, curved dollies are also available.
 Remove any oil, grease etc. from the surface of the coatings using suitable solvents or
cleaners.
 Roughen the surface with fine-grade paper (not in all standards)
 Remove any dust or debris.
 Mix the adhesive (glue) as per supplier’s recommendations.
 Apply the adhesive evenly to the face of the cleaned/abraded dolly.
 Place the dolly onto the coated surface and apply enough pressure to squeeze out the excess
adhesive.
 Remove excess adhesive.
 Apply a magnetic dolly clamp (if required) to keep dolly in position (adhesive tape can also be
used)
 Allow the glue to cure.
 Cut around the dolly with a cutting device (if specified or agree). (not permitted in some
standards)
 Set up the adhesion tester as per the manufacturer’s instructions.
 Conduct the adhesion test as per the manufacturer’s instructions.
 Report the results as per the individual standard.

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When testing the adhesion of some coatings, such as thermal sprayed coatings, the adhesion may be
Pull-off Adhesion
considerably Tests
higher than specified so the adhesion testing can be terminated before a break occurs if the
value is higher than specified.

The dolly can be removed by heated tongs.

This will ensure that there is no damage to the coating and no repairs are necessary.

This test should only be conducted by experienced paint personnel as the process can produce
variable results or a different interpretation of results particularly the mode(s) of failure, depending
upon:

 Whether the surface has been abraded

 Whether a dolly cutter is used before the pull-off test
 The type of adhesive used (single part such as cyanoacrylate or two-part such as epoxy)
 The curing time of the adhesive
 The thickness of the steel substrate (in the field this is generally not an issue)
 The size (diameter-surface area) of the dolly
 The thickness, age, hardness and type of coating
 The degree of cure of the coating
 The make and model of the adhesion pull-off instrument.

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Examples
30% cohesive 1st coat 70% adhesive, glue

60% cohesive 1st coat 40% adhesive, glue

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75% cohesive 1st coat 25% substrate.

30% cohesive 2nd coat 70% adhesive, substrate

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30% cohesive 1st coat 70% cohesive 2nd coat

85% cohesive 1st coat 15% cohesive 2 nd coat

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Adhesion Testing on Concrete

The Elcometer 106 Scale 6 and the Defelsko Positest AT are two examples of instruments that test
adhesion on concrete. The testing procedures for conducting adhesion tests on concrete may be the
same, but very often a dolly with a larger surface testing area is required and/or different conversion
factors may have to be used. Consult the model-specific owner’s manual for detailed information
about adhesion testing on concrete.

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