Abrasion testing of organic corrosion protection coating systems with a rotating abrasive rubber wheel

The abrasive wear performance of six organic offshore coating systems is investigated at two temperature levels (0°C and 20°C) with a rotating wheel abrasion tester. The relationship between exposure time (in terms of number of revolutions) and coating thickness reduction follows a linear relationship: Δh=C1·nR+C2. The reverse of the progress parameter (1/C1) is defined as abrasion resistance. This parameter is found to be sensitive to the testing temperature; it decreases for most of the coatings for the lower temperature. Combined SEM/EDX analyses reveal a number of material removal modes. The separation and pull-off of filler/pigment particles contribute notably to the material abrasion on all coating systems at the two temperature levels. Type, distribution and hardness of filler materials are important design parameters. A model of Bello and Wood (2005) [33] for filled polyamides is adapted and extended in order to systematically register different material removal modes. Image analysis is applied to quantify filler particle distribution and size. •The abrasion resistance of six offshore coatings is investigated experimentally at two temperature levels (0°C and 20°C).•Abrasion resistance decreases with a decrease in temperature.•Separation and pull-off of filler particles contribute notably to the material abrasion.•A model is presented in order to systematize different material removal modes.