The crater grinder method as a means for coating wear evaluation - An update

The crater grinder test has been developed in order to obtain the abrasive resistance of thin coatings. It is capable of determining the specific abrasive wear rate of the coating and the substrate individually, even for very thin coatings. This paper reports on further development and evaluation of the test. The equation for calculation of the specific wear rate has been reformulated and the influence of several test parameters has been evaluated. As a consequence the test procedure has been revised. The amended test procedure yields more accurate Values of the specific wear rate as compared to the earlier version. Moreover, a standard test procedure is suggested to ensure reliable and reproducible results.