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26. 11. 2020

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The composition of pencil leads

The determination of the hardness of applied coatings using the pencil method is a procedure frequently used in different industrial sectors.

In this regard, there are various standards that report the description of this method such as UNI 10782, ASTM D 3363 and ISO 15184.

The principle of all these methods is the "scratching" of the coating under test using pencils of different hardness and expressing the result as the value of the hardest lead that does not scratch it.

As there is currently no clear indication on the meaning of the hardness of the pencils and on its traceability to scientifically measurable parameters, this study proposes to analytically verify the composition of the leads in order to establish a criterion for their differentiation and acceptability by the laboratories that perform this type of test (read more).


For information:
Franco Bulian
+39 0432 747231
bulian@catas.com