Scratch hardness tester is an equipment used to determine the surface hardness of paint and varnish coatings with respect to their scratch resistance capacity. The instrument is commonly used in laboratories for quality control and experimental purposes for various fields like paint, varnish, furniture and vehicle industry.

The hardness of a paint or coating effects its vulnerability to scratch damage, particularly to stress with scratching, sharp edges. Scratch hardness is measured according to the Mohs' scale.

Salient Features

The common features associated with Scratch Hardness Testers are:

• The equipment can be effectively used for all smooth single coat and multi coat paints.
• The equipment is easy to handle and requires negligible maintenance.
• The equipment is basically made of steel.
• The machine gives reliable results.
• The process of determination of hardness is quite fast and the test can be conducted even during production process.

Applications

The apparatus is widely used in various fields. Some of the the areas where it finds application are:

• Paint Industry
• Varnish Industry
• Automobile Industry
• Furniture Industry
• Mineralogy