Reliability on Coating Pull-off Adhesion Strength Test

The pull-off adhesion test according to ASTM 4541, standard test method for pull-off strength of coatings using portable adhesion tester, is widely used in coating performance for marine painting system. Factors that typically affect adhesion test results are thickness of the test panel, dolly size, type of test equipment, curing time of the coating and adhesive, skills of the test operator and geometry of the surface. These factors all contribute to uncertain test results. To avoid this, it’s critical to have clear understanding of the underlying mechanism and primary factors of the coating adhesion. Interestingly, these observations have been reported in other studies but with little or no explanation or investigation of the relationship between the affecting factors and the results obtained. Therefore, in light of the problem of reproducibility of results from adhesion testing, it has been attempted to understanding the systematic correlation between pull-off strength and the relevant factors in coating adhesion analysis. The following paper will discuss each of the factors listed above and correlate data produced from results of the adhesion test.