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Trial Number 6

Trial Purpose:

To determine the coefficient of friction for various floor finishes.

Date Run:

05/27/2005

Experiment Procedure:

Control of Moisture Content and Temperature
The moisture content at the time of testing will influence results due to the hydroscopic nature of the base materials. Therefore, efforts must be taken to ensure that the moisture content and temperature remain constant during the evaluation period. Ideally, the sample floor should be kept at 65+/-1% relative humidity and 68+/-6 F.

During laboratory testing, conditions were slightly drier, 40% relative humidity, but the temperature was within the given temperature range ~70 F).

Sample Preparation
The flooring material supplied was Hardwood flooring made from Red Oak. The boards were ¾” thick, 2 ¼” wide and cut into 8” sections. Some pieces of the flooring had to be sanded prior to making initial thickness readings to remove residual packing tape adhesive. With the boards cut into 8” coupons, three readings were made using a Brown & Sharpe Micrometer to measure each coupons initial board thickness. Each reading was made to 0.001” and the three values were averaged to give a baseline thickness for the coupons. In addition to the thickness baseline, baselines were established for Gloss, Coefficient of Friction, Impact, Small Area Loads. Procedures for each baseline measurements followed the procedures to be outlined.

Following the establishment of the baselines, three coupons were coated with a supplied floor finish according to the manufacturers’ specifications. The finish was applied using a 1” Pure Bristle 1500 paint brush. To ensure consistent coating application, the finish was leveled off using a 10 mils Precision Gage & Tool Co Dow Film Caster. Three coats were used for each floor finish as this was common number of coating layers suggested by the various manufacturers. Each coating layer was allowed to dry for 2 hours prior to the application of the next coat. Completed coupons were allowed to sit for a minimum period of 24 hours before performance evaluations were conducted.

Coefficient of Friction
The ASTM specified apparatus was replaced with an IMASS, Inc SP-102B-3M90 Slip/Peel Tester (Figure 1). Two types of friction coefficients were measured using this instrument. The first, Static CoF, was determined by obtaining the force required to move the specimen from a stationary position. The second, Sliding CoF (or Kinetic), was found by measuring the average force required to maintain movement at a certain rate. Measured forces will have peaks and valleys in the amount of force needed to keep moving. Average these values results and dividing by the weight of the object will result in the desired coefficient.

Figure 1. IMASS Slip/Peel Tester

The Slip/Peel tester was first adjusted to ensure that the device was properly calibrated for the sled weight being used. A coupon was then placed and clamped onto the bed of the device. The speed of the bed was set to 45”/min. The instrument records two values, the peak, the valley and calculates the average. The device was run three times per coupon for measuring the Static CoF and three times to measure the Kinetic CoF. Each coupon’s value was averaged and then the values for each finish (three coupon averages) were averaged to get one value for the Static Coefficient of Friction and one value for the Kinetic Coefficient of Friction. These values for coated samples were compared to the CoF for the same uncoated coupons.

Coefficient of Friction = Ratio of tractive (pulling) force to the normal force (sled weight): CoF = F/N = (Tractive force)/(Normal Force) = (meter reading)/(sled weight)

Trial Results:

Product ID Products Tested:
2 Capitol Polyurethane Gloss
3 Pro Finisher Water Based Polyurethane for floors
4 Pro Finisher Water Based Sanding Sealer
5 Quide SA Aqua Deva Metro

Uncoated     Static     Kinetic  
  Coupon # Peak Valley Average Peak Valley Average
Capitol Polyurethane Gloss 52 848 562 606 614 538 571
    767 529 581 640 543 586
    778 538 583 619 530 575
  53 663 528 542 509 497 507
    757 522 527 508 493 505
    692 506 517 514 498 503
  54 783 532 535 544 499 526
    801 523 525 518 481 505
    730 568 514 513 479 499
Pro Finisher Water Based Polyurethane for floors 55 764 538 549 533 519 516
    733 526 506 523 501 512
    713 518 532 515 493 507
  56 806 573 604 630 570 599
    794 567 600 634 574 605
    799 568 600 642 573 602
  57 780 556 573 555 514 533
    758 546 559 558 544 545
    742 546 553 540 511 522
Pro Finisher Water Based Sanding Sealer 58 778 567 597 591 528 563
    739 576 592 577 527 554
    761 560 565 592 540 558
  59 961 671 694 697 632 659
    895 666 688 697 633 657
    846 636 669 705 627 654
  60 774 536 560 582 516 533
    800 521 542 569 512 527
    708 534 536 567 505 525
Quide SA Aqua Deva Metro 61 871 558 584 572 515 544
    850 543 560 567 520 539
    819 563 563 565 514 538
  62 760 525 542 554 514 526
    720 512 528 545 510 523
    712 519 525 538 507 517
  63 803 617 650 622 608 611
    756 625 630 617 589 606
    718 610 613 612 605 602
    765 548 563 572 528 546

Capitol Polyurethane Gloss

  Static     Kinetic  
Peak Valley Average Peak Valley Average
798 543 590 624 537 577
704 519 529 510 496 505
771 541 525 525 486 510
758 534 548 553 506 531
Pro Finisher Water Based Polyurethane for floors
737 527 529 524 504 512
800 569 601 635 572 602
760 549 562 551 523 533
765 549 564 570 533 549
Pro Finisher Water Based Sanding Sealer
759 568 585 587 532 558
901 658 684 700 631 657
761 530 546 573 511 528
807 585 605 620 558 581
Quide SA Aqua Deva Metro
847 555 569 568 516 540
731 519 532 546 510 522
746 594 602 600 574 585
775 556 568 571 534 549

Coated

      Static     Kinetic  
  Coupon # Peak Valley Average Peak Valley Average
Capitol Polyurethane Gloss 52 1031 654 756 761 672 732
  812 650 744 783 672 733
  843 667 744 783 669 740
53 829 725 756 758 742 749
  816 736 758 799 734 758
  829 740 753 752 742 748
54 1126 765 813 873 756 773
  875 754 780 853 741 780
  879 754 771 850 741 772
Pro Finisher Water Based Polyurethane for floors  55 860 550 559 603 534 560
  815 556 560 590 549 557
  763 547 563 594 540 556
56 1961 674 1114 1425 650 892
  1629 654 1033 1343 634 884
  1597 640 966 1291 598 862
57 1052 609 618 725 654 688
  692 602 611 703 666 675
  948 689 701 707 641 670
Pro Finisher Water Based Sanding Sealer 58 738 633 675 662 616 631
  695 602 640 644 593 624
  791 618 637 632 604 614
59 869 656 698 763 624 662
  901 659 691 748 625 659
  898 650 670 766 616 654
60 784 633 682 694 588 613
  778 614 658 675 591 632
  736 592 648 683 575 627
Quide SA Aqua Deva Metro 61 744 614 663 623 576 597
  751 588 617 596 581 608
  652 581 609 612 566 592
62 832 612 653 673 574 623
  870 566 628 644 601 606
  823 608 620 649 580 602
63 717 557 585 622 546 581
  1001 550 583 578 564 601
  800 550 582 610 538 576

Summary

  Static     Kinetic  
Peak Valley Average Peak Valley Average
Capitol Polyurethane Gloss
895 657 748 776 671 735
825 734 756 770 739 752
960 758 788 859 746 775
893 716 764 801 719 754
110 46 22 46 36 18
Pro Finisher Water Based Polyurethane for floors
813 551 561 596 541 558
1729 656 1038 1353 627 879
897 633 643 712 654 678
1146 613 747 887 607 705
Pro Finisher Water Based Sanding Sealer
741 618 651 646 604 623
889 655 686 759 622 658
766 613 663 684 585 624
799 629 667 696 604 635
Quide SA Aqua Deva Metro
716 594 630 610 574 599
842 595 634 655 585 610
839 552 583 603 549 586
799 581 616 623 570 598

Initial Uncoated Readings

   Static  Kinetic
  Peak Valley Average Peak Valley Average
Capitol Polyurethane Gloss 758 534 548 553 506 531
Pro Finisher Water Based Polyurethane for floors 765 549 564 570 533 549
Pro Finisher Water Based Sanding Sealer 807 585 605 620 558 581
Quide SA Aqua Deva Metro 775 556 568 571 534 549

Final Coated Readings

   Static  Kinetic
  Peak Valley Average Peak Valley Average
Capitol Polyurethane Gloss 893 716 764 801 719 754
Pro Finisher Water Based Polyurethane for floors 1146 613 747 887 607 705
Pro Finisher Water Based Sanding Sealer 799 629 667 696 604 635
Quide SA Aqua Deva Metro 799 581 616 623 570 598

Final - Initial

   Static  Kinetic
  Peak Valley Average Peak Valley Average
Capitol Polyurethane Gloss 136 182 216 248 212 223
Pro Finisher Water Based Polyurethane for floors 381 65 183 317 74 156
Pro Finisher Water Based Sanding Sealer -8 43 62 77 46 54
Quide SA Aqua Deva Metro 24 25 48 52 36 49

Success Rating:

A cleanliness study, addressing only various analytical techniques.

Conclusion:

The Pro Finisher Water Based Polyurethane had the highest peak Coefficient of Friction for both Static and Kinetic methods. The other water based products had limited improvement in the CoF.

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