LabScene 03 · Chemical
Method DocumentedMEK · 1 kgf · double-rub
MEK saturated cloth, dragged across cured epoxy, until the finish gives. The fastest way to know whether a cure is real.
- Documentation
- Available for applicable systems
- Method
- MEK double-rub
- Documentation
- On request
Illustrative exposure scenarios for educational purposes. These visuals do not represent certified laboratory results or documented performance for a specific TCS or PSF coating system.
Specimen · cured epoxy filmMEK double-rub
Frame 3 of 550 rubs
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How we test
Methodology
- What's a 'double rub'?
- One forward stroke plus one return stroke (counted together) with a cheesecloth pad saturated in MEK, pressed at approximately 1 kgf. The test ends when the substrate becomes visible through the coating, or at a pre-declared stop count (commonly 100).
- Why MEK specifically?
- MEK is an aggressive, common solvent that cross-linked polymers should resist if cure is complete. It's the fastest diagnostic for under-cured or mis-mixed chemistry: a panel that fails at 25 rubs was never cured properly, regardless of what the gloss meter says.
- What counts as 'passes industrial spec'?
- 80 double-rubs without visible substrate exposure or measurable colour change. Most architectural specs are satisfied well before that; heavy-industrial chemical-exposure specs sometimes push past 150.
- How does this interact with acid/alkali ratings?
- MEK tests the binder; acid and alkali tests target the pigment and filler system. A panel can score excellent on MEK and fail on alkali if the filler package was wrong for the environment. TCS runs all three for any formula flagged for chemical-service duty.