BRITISH STANDARD BS EN ISO

2815:1998
BS 3900-E9:
1976
Implementing
Amendment No. 1 to
BS 3900-E9:1976

Paints and varnishes — (renumbers the BS as

BS EN ISO
2815:1998) not

Buchholz indentation published separately

test

It is recommended that this Part be read in conjunction with the general

information in the introduction to BS 3900 issued separately (revised edition
published March 1969).

ICS 87.040
BS EN ISO 2815:1998

National foreword

This Part of BS 3900 is technically identical with International Standard

ISO 2815:1973, Paints and varnishes — Buchholz indentation test. In 1998 the
European Committee for Standardization (CEN) accepted ISO 2815:1973 as
European Standard EN ISO 2815:1998.
A British Standard does not purport to include all the necessary provisions of
a contract. Users of British Standards are responsible for their correct
application.

Compliance with a British Standard does not of itself confer immunity

from legal obligations.

Summary of pages
This document comprises a front cover, an inside front cover, pages i and ii,
the EN ISO title page, pages 2 to 6 and a back cover.
This standard has been updated (see copyright date) and may have had
amendments incorporated. This will be indicated in the amendment table on
the inside front cover.

Amendments issued since publication

Amd. No. Date Comments

10176 October 1998 Implementing European Standard

© BSI 05-1999

ISBN 0 580 0 9461 8

 BS EN ISO 2815:1998

Contents

Page
National foreword Inside front cover
Foreword 2
Text of EN ISO 2815 3

© BSI 05-1999 i
ii blank
EUROPEAN STANDARD EN ISO 2815
NORME EUROPÉENNE
April 1998
EUROPÄISCHE NORM

ICS 35.100

Descriptors: Paints, varnishes, tests, hardness tests, indentation, hardness tests

English version

Paints and varnishes — Buchholz indentation test

(ISO 2815:1973)

Peintures et vernis — Essais d’indentation Beschichtungsstoffe — Eindruckversuch nach

Buchholz Buchholz
(ISO 2815:1973) (ISO 2815:1973)

This European Standard was approved by CEN on 9 March 1998.

CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal
Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard
the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and
bibliographical references concerning such national standards may be obtained
on application to the Central Secretariat or to any CEN member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French,
German). A version in any other language made by translation under the
responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the
Central Secretariat has the same status as the official versions.
CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium,
Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland,
Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland and United Kingdom.

CEN
European Committee for Standardization
Comité Européen de Normalisation
Europäisches Komitee für Normung
Central Secretariat: rue de Stassart 36, B-1050 Brussels

© 1998 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved worldwide for CEN national
Members. Ref. No. EN ISO 2815:1998 E
EN ISO 2815:1998

Foreword Contents
The text of the International Standard from Page
Technical Committee ISO/TC 35, Paints and Foreword 2
varnishes, of the International Organization for
1 Scope and field of application 3
Standardization (ISO) has been taken over as a
European Standard by Technical Committee 2 References 3
CEN/TC 139, Paints and varnishes, the secretariat 3 Supplementary information 3
of which is held by DIN. 4 Apparatus 3
This European Standard shall be given the status of 5 Sampling 3
a national standard, either by publication of an
identical text or by endorsement, at the latest by 6 Test panels 3
October 1998, and conflicting national standards 7 Procedure 4
shall be withdrawn at the latest by October 1998. 8 Test report 4
According to CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations, Figure 1 — Indentation apparatus
the following countries are bound to implement (oblique underside view) 5
this European Standard: Austria, Belgium, Figure 2 — Indenter and (right) shape of
Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, indentation (enlarged) 5
Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy,
Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Figure 3 — Position of the light source
Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United and the microscope 5
Kingdom. Figure 4 — Shadow produced by the
indentation 5
Endorsement notice Figure 5 — Template to locate the
position of the indentation 6
The text of the International Standard
ISO 2815:1973 has been approved by CEN as a Table 1 — Relation between indentation
European Standard without any modification. length and indentation resistance 4

2 © BSI 05-1999

1 Scope and field of application
This Part specifies a method for carrying out an
indentation test on a single coating or multicoat
system of paint, varnish or related product, using a
specified instrument (Buchholz).
The length of the indentation produced when an
indenter of specified size and shape is applied to the
coating under defined conditions is indicative of the
residual deformation of the coating. The result is
expressed as a function of the reciprocal of the
indentation length and this increases as the desired
property (resistance to indentation) increases.
NOTE 1 Since the indentation test, like other physical tests on
paints, gives results which may be dependent upon time,
temperature and humidity, comparable results will only be
obtained if the test is carried out within well-defined conditions.
NOTE 2 Since the indentation depth depends upon the film
thickness, the result obtained for indentation resistance is only
valid if the coating thickness exceeds a minimum value
(see 7.3.2 and Table 1).
2 References
This Part makes reference to other Parts of BS 3900
as follows:
— Part A1: Sampling;
— Part A2: Examination and preparation of
samples for testing;
— Part A3: Standard panels for paint testing;
— Part A4: Notes for guidance on paint
application;
— Part C5: Determination of film thickness.
3 Supplementary information
The method of test specified requires to be
completed, for any particular application, by the
following supplementary information. This
information shall be derived from the national
standard or other document for the product under
test or, where appropriate, shall be the subject of
agreement between the interested parties.
a) Material and surface preparation of substrate.
b) Method of application of test coating to
substrate.
c) Thickness, in micrometres, of the dry coating,
including method of measurement in accordance
with BS 3900-C5, and whether it is a single
coating or a multicoat system.
d) Duration and conditions of drying of the coated
panel before testing (or conditions of stoving and
ageing if applicable).
e) Recovery time before measuring the
indentation, if other than 35 ± 5 s.
© BSI 05-1999
BS EN ISO 2815:1998
4 Apparatus
4.1 Indentation apparatus. This is shown in
Figure 1. It consists essentially of a rectangular
block of metal, which forms the body of the
instrument, an indenter and two pointed feet.
The indenter is a sharp-edged metal wheel of
hardened tool steel. The cross-section through its
axis of rotation and its dimensions shall be as shown
in Figure 2, which also shows the shape of the
indentation produced.
The complete apparatus weighs 1 000 ± 5 g. The
indenter and the two feet are so positioned in the
body that when the instrument is placed on a level
surface it is stable, its upper surface is horizontal
and the effective load upon the indenter is 500 ± 5 g.
4.2 Measuring device. A suitable device for
measuring the length of the indentation consists of
a microscope with × 20 magnification and an
eyepiece fitted with a graduated scale capable of
reading to 0.1 mm. The area of indentation shall be
illuminated by means of a light source located so
that its angle of incidence exceeds 60° as shown in
Figure 3. The microscope shall be positioned
vertically over the illuminated area and focused to
bring the shadow produced by the indentation
(see Figure 4) and the graduated scale together,
NOTE The position of the indentation mark can be located by
means of a suitable template prepared from a triangular sheet of
transparent plastics film (see Figure 5).
5 Sampling
A representative sample of the product to be tested
(or of each product in the case of a multicoat system)
shall be taken as specified in BS 3900-A1. The
sample shall then be examined and prepared for
testing as specified in BS 3900-A2.
6 Test panels
6.1 Materials and dimensions. Unless otherwise
specified or agreed, the test panels shall be of metal
or glass complying with BS 3900-A3.
The test panels shall be flat and free from distortion
and the surface shall be free from any visible ridges
or cracks.
The test panels shall be rectangular and, unless
otherwise specified, 150 mm × 100 mm in size and
not less than 1 mm in thickness. The test panels
may be cut to size after coating or drying, provided
no distortion occurs.
6.2 Preparation and coating of panels. The test
panels shall be prepared in accordance with
BS 3900-A4, unless otherwise specified, and shall
then be coated by the specified method with the
product or system under test to the specified film
thickness limits.
3
BS EN ISO 2815:1998

6.3 Drying and conditioning of the test panels. Table 1 shows the relationship between indentation
The coated test panels shall be dried (or stoved and length and indentation resistance. It also gives the
aged) for the specified time and under the specified associated indentation depth, in micrometres
conditions and, unless otherwise specified, shall be (rounded off to the nearest integer), and the
conditioned at a temperature of 23 ± 2 °C and a minimum coating thickness, in micrometres, for
relative humidity of 50 ± 5 % for a minimum which the measurement is valid.
of 16 h. The test procedure shall then be carried out Table 1 — Relation between indentation
as soon as possible. length and indentation resistance
6.4 Thickness of coating. The average thickness, Minimum
in micrometres, of the dry coating in the region to be coating
tested shall be determined by the method specified, Indentation Indentation Indentation thickness for
length resistance depth which a
using one of the procedures specified in BS 3900-C5. measurement
is valid
7 Procedure mm 4m 4m
7.1 Ambient conditions. The test shall be carried 0.8 125 5 15
out at a temperature of 23 ± 2 °C and relative
humidity of 50 ± 5 %, unless otherwise specified. 0.85 118 6 20
0.9 111 7 20
7.2 Determination of indentation length
0.95 105 7 20
7.2.1 Place the test panel, paint film uppermost, on
a firm horizontal surface. 1.0 100 8 20
7.2.2 Take the apparatus specified in 4.1 and place 1.05 95 9 20
it gently and without any tilting or lateral 1.1 91 10 20
movement on to the test panel, leave the indenter in 1.15 87 11 25
position for 30 ± 1 s and remove it carefully. 1.2 83 12 25
NOTE The feet of the apparatus shall first of all be allowed to
make contact with the test panel and then the indenter shall be 1.3 77 14 25
lowered carefully until it touches the panel. The apparatus shall 1.4 71 16 30
be lifted off the test panel indenter first and feet last.
1.5 67 18 30
7.2.3 Place the light source and microscope in
position as specified in 4.2 and measure the length, 1.6 63 21 35
in millimetres, of the shadow produced by the 1.7 59 24 35
indentation 35 ± 5 s after removal of the indenter,
unless otherwise specified. Record the results in 8 Test report
millimetres, to the nearest 0.1 mm, as the
indentation length. The test report shall include the following
particulars:
7.2.4 Carry out five tests on different parts of the
same test panel and calculate the mean value. a) A reference to this British Standard.
7.3 Calculation of indentation resistance b) Type and identification of the product under
test.
7.3.1 Round off the mean value to the nearest value
in the first column of Table 1 and use this c) The items of supplementary information
rounded-off value of the indentation length to referred to in clause 3.
calculate the indentation resistance. d) The British Standard or other document
7.3.2 Read off the indentation resistance from supplying the information referred to in c).
Table 1 or calculate it from the formula e) Any deviation, by agreement or otherwise,
from the test procedure specified.
100
---------- f) The result of the test, expressed as the
L
Buchholz indentation resistance, as derived
where L is the nominal value of the indentation in 7.3.2.
length, in millimetres. g) Date of the test.

4 © BSI 05-1999
 BS EN ISO 2815:1998

Figure 1 — Indentation apparatus (oblique underside view)

Figure 2 — Indenter and (right) shape of indentation (enlarged)

Figure 3 — Position of the light source and the microscope

Figure 4 — Shadow produced by the indentation

© BSI 05-1999 5
BS EN ISO 2815:1998

Figure 5 — Template to locate the position of the indentation

6 © BSI 05-1999
blank
BS EN ISO
2815:1998
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1976
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