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How to measure and analyse the texture of food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and adhesives.

Thursday, 3 July 2014

Measure Abrasion Force


ABRASION is the erosion of material from a solid surface by the action of another solid. 

When material is removed by contact with hard particles, abrasive wear occurs. The particles either may be present at the surface of a second material or may exist as loose particles between two surfaces.

Abrasive materials are widely used across a variety of industries for polishing, grinding, honing and other similar processes. The efficacy of these materials relies on their frictional properties, which can be calculated as the force required to draw the material across a given surface. Assessment of these properties will allow manufacturers to evaluate the suitability of their products for a specific use. The test results will also highlight differences between grades or brands of abrasive materials.


An Abrasive Test Rig analyses the frictional properties of a wide range of materials such as sandpaper, dental abrasive strips and flexible nail files, enabling manufacturers to highlight strengths, weaknesses and variations in product lines and materials. 


Prior to performing the test, a sample of the abrasive material is held in place in a self-tightening grip. As the test is carried out, the arm of the TA.XTplus or TA.HDplus draws the sample under and around a cylinder at 90 degrees and the force required to pull the material is recorded. The cylinder material is customer-specific according to the substrate over which the sample is required to abrade.   

Exponent software is then employed to analyse the multi-peak force profiles obtained and apply special calculations to evaluate the frictional properties of the material. For coarse samples, a wider fluctuating force band will be recorded, while for the finer materials, a narrower force band can be expected.

As well as providing an accurate measurement of the frictional properties of the material, the results recorded can also be used to evaluate the stick/slip characteristics of the abrasive sample. This can be achieved by calculating the force difference between the maximum and minimum peaks obtained.


Typical Methods & Fixtures for Abrasion Measurement in action:

 

Typical physical properties that can be obtained from a texture analysis graph:  
Mean Friction force, stick/slip.
 

A wide range of attachments is available for measuring texture analysis properties.  

Typical Texture Analyser graph with annotated properties
Typical Texture Analyser graph
with annotated properties
The above are only typical examples of abrasion measurement

We can of course design and manufacture probes or fixtures for the TA.XTplus texture analyser that are bespoke to your sample and its specific measurement.

Once your measurement is performed our expertise in its graphical interpretation is unparalleled – no-one understands texture analysis like we do. Not only can we develop the most suitable and accurate method for the testing of your sample but we can prepare analysis procedures that obtain the desired parameters from your curve and drop them into a spreadsheet or report designed around your requirements.

For more information on how to measure texture, please visit the Texture Analysis Properties section on our website.

To discuss your specific test requirements click here...

Watch our video about texture analysis Putting Packaging to the Test
 Materials and Packaging Testing




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