Choosing a Coating2 min read

Coating Test Standards: A Method Number Is Not a Performance Grade

A test-method designation identifies a procedure or framework, not automatically a passing grade or a superior product. A coating claim needs the result and acceptance basis, not only a familiar standard number.

Updated · NANOLAB Knowledge

The key distinction

Some methods leave key choices or acceptance criteria to the parties using them. The buyer should read the report's scope and identify the actual tested system. A logo or method reference without the result may communicate less than a plain statement describing what was measured and under which conditions.

Practical checks

  1. Ask for the complete report or a sufficiently detailed verified summary.
  2. Identify the method version, specimen and relevant settings.
  3. Confirm the result and the basis for any pass or conformity statement.

Example

Illustrative example: two suppliers both state that a coating was tested to the same method. One report may describe a different substrate or acceptance criterion. The shared method number alone does not establish equivalence or justify ranking the products.

Scope and limits

Do not describe a product as certified merely because a test method was used. Certification, accreditation and a laboratory result have distinct meanings. This guide does not interpret a particular standard or establish a passing threshold; it helps buyers request the information needed for a meaningful comparison.

Related guidance

Ask NANOLAB about the exact product and intended use. Use the current product documentation for formulation-specific instructions.

Choosing a Coating1 min read

Randomising Coating Test Positions: Reduce Location Bias

A split-panel comparison can be influenced by where each product is placed. Vary the allocation across comparable test panels instead of always giving one product the same position.