Designation: D2794 – 93 (Reapproved 2004)

Standard Test Method for

Resistance of Organic Coatings to the Effects of Rapid
Deformation (Impact)1
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D2794; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
This standard has been approved for use by agencies of the Department of Defense.

1. Scope 4. Summary of Test Method

1.1 This test method covers a procedure for rapidly deform- 4.1 The organic coatings under test are applied to suitable
ing by impact a coating film and its substrate and for evaluating thin metal panels. After the coatings have cured, a standard
the effect of such deformation. weight is dropped a distance so as to strike an indenter that
1.2 This test method should be restricted to testing in only deforms the coating and the substrate. The indentation can be
one laboratory when numerical values are used because of the either an intrusion or an extrusion. By gradually increasing the
poor reproducibility of the method. Interlaboratory agreement distance the weight drops, the point at which failure usually
is improved when ranking is used in place of numerical values. occurs can be determined. Films generally fail by cracking,
1.3 This standard does not purport to address the safety which is made more visible by the use of a magnifier, by the
concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility application of a copper sulfate (CuSO4) solution on steel, or by
of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and the use of a pin hole detector.
health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory
limitations prior to use. 5. Significance and Use
5.1 Coatings attached to substrates are subjected to damag-
2. Referenced Documents ing impacts during the manufacture of articles and their use in
2.1 ASTM Standards:2 service. In its use over many years, this test method for impact
D609 Practice for Preparation of Cold-Rolled Steel Panels resistance has been found to be useful in predicting the
for Testing Paint, Varnish, Conversion Coatings, and performance of organic coatings for their ability to resist
Related Coating Products cracking caused by impacts.
D823 Practices for Producing Films of Uniform Thickness
of Paint, Varnish, and Related Products on Test Panels 6. Apparatus
D1186 Test Methods for Nondestructive Measurement of 6.1 Tester, consisting of a vertical tube to guide a cylindrical
Dry Film Thickness of Nonmagnetic Coatings Applied to weight that is dropped on a punch resting on the test panel.
a Ferrous Base3 6.1.1 Guide Tube, 24 to 48 in. (0.6 to 1.2 m) long mounted
vertically in a base plate. A slot is cut lengthwise on one side
3. Terminology of the tube to act as a guide for a cylindrical weight that fits
3.1 Description of Term Specific to This Standard: inside the tube. Graduations are marked in inch-pounds along
3.1.1 impact resistance, of a coating—the number of inch- the slot. The base is constructed so that a thin flat panel can be
pounds (kilogram-metres) required to produce cracking in the inserted at 2 in. (50 mm) below the tube.
deformed coating. 6.1.2 Weight, metal cylinder, made to fit inside the guide
tube. A pin is fitted into one side of the weight to act as a guide
1
by riding in the slot of the tube and to serve as a handle by
This test method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D01 on Paint
and Related Coatings, Materials, and Applications and is the direct responsibility of which the weight can be raised and released and serve as the
Subcommittee D01.23 on Physical Properties of Applied Paint Films. indicator of inch-pounds (kilogram-metres).
Current edition approved June 1, 2004. Published June 2004. Originally 6.2 Indenter—A steel punch with a hemispherical head
approved in 1969. Last previous edition approved in 1999 as D2794 – 93 (1999) ´1.
DOI: 10.1520/D2794-93R04.
having a diameter of either 0.500 in. (12.7 mm) or 0.625 in.
2
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or (15.9 mm). The head rests on the test panel and the punch is
contact ASTM Customer Service at [email protected]. For Annual Book of ASTM held vertically by a guide ring.
Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on 6.3 Panel Support—A steel fixture with a 0.64-in. (16.3-
the ASTM website.
3
Withdrawn. The last approved version of this historical standard is referenced
mm) diameter cylindrical hole centered under the indenter for
on www.astm.org. supporting the test panel.

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 D2794 – 93 (2004)
6.4 Magnifier. pacted areas for at least 15 min. Remove the cloth and examine
6.5 Pin Hole Detector. both the test areas and cloth for evidence of copper deposition
or iron-rust staining respectively.
7. Reagents
NOTE 3—The copper sulfate solution will not perform properly on
7.1 An acidified copper sulfate (CuSO4) solution prepared
zinc-phosphate-treated metal unless the conversion coating cracks.
by dissolving 10 g of CuSO4·5H2O in 90 g of 1.0 N hydro-
chloric acid (HCl). 10.3.3 To detect breaks in the film with a pin hole detector,
first connect the ground lead from the instrument to the bare
8. Test Specimens substrate and connect the instrument to an electrical power
8.1 Apply uniform coatings of the material to be tested to source. Moisten the probe sponge with tap water and slowly
24-gage (0.025 in. or 0.63 mm) steel panels treated with a draw the probe over the impact area. The presence of cracks
conversion coating in accordance with Procedure A of Practice will be indicated by an audible alarm.
D609, unless otherwise specified. Prepare a minimum of four 10.4 For each inch-pound (kilogram-metre) level, tabulate
coated panels for the material. the number of times the coating passed or failed. The value
where the results change from mainly passing to mainly failing
NOTE 1—The coatings should be applied in accordance with Practices
D823, or as agreed upon between the producer and the user. Other gage is the impact failure end point.
steel panels may be used if agreed upon between the producer and the
user.
11. Report
8.2 Cure the coated panels under conditions of humidity and 11.1 Report the following for each coating tested:
temperature agreed upon between the producer and the user. 11.1.1 The inch-pounds (kilogram-metres) at the impact
failure end point,
NOTE 2—The thickness of the dry coatings should be measured in 11.1.2 Whether intrusion or extrusion was used,
accordance with Test Methods D1186. 11.1.3 Diameter of the punch used,
9. Conditioning 11.1.4 Thickness of coating,
11.1.5 Substrate thickness and type of metal,
9.1 Unless otherwise agreed upon between the producer and 11.1.6 Method of panel preparation, and
the user, condition the coated test panels for at least 24 h at 73.5 11.1.7 Atmospheric conditions under which the coated pan-
6 3.5°F (23 6 2°C) and 50 6 5 % relative humidity. Conduct els were conditioned and tested.
the test in the same environment or immediately on removal
therefrom. NOTE 4—Because of the poor reproducibility of this method, the
reporting of inch-pounds (kilogram-metres) in comparing coatings for
10. Procedure impact resistance should be restricted to one laboratory. For interlabora-
tory comparisons, rankings of coatings for impact resistance should be
10.1 Install the punch having the head diameter specified or reported.
agreed upon. Place the test panel in the apparatus with the
coated side either up or down as specified or agreed upon. Be 12. Precision and Bias
sure the panel is flat against the base support and that the 12.1 On the basis of an interlaboratory test in which
indenter is in contact with the top surface of the panel. Lightly operators in six laboratories tested three paints having a broad
place the weight on the indenter and adjust the guide tube so range of impact resistance on two metal substrates, the
that the lifting pin is at the zero mark. Raise the weight up the between-laboratories coefficients of variation were found to be
tube to a height where it is expected that no failure will occur. as follows:
Release the weight so that it drops on the indenter. Coefficient of Variation
10.2 Remove the test panel from the apparatus and observe Intrusion, Extrusion,
the impact area for cracks in the coating. If no cracks are % %
Brittle coating (less than 6 in.-lb) 25 100
evident, repeat the procedure at a greater height, increasing 1 Average coating (between 6 and 140 80 100
in. (25 mm) at a time. Once visible cracks are observed, repeat in.-lb)
the test five times at each of three heights; slightly above, Flexible coating (more than 140 in.-lb) 10 25
(0.625 in.-diameter punch)
slightly below, and at that determined in the first trial. Test in
a random fashion so that all impacts from one height are not 12.2 Bias—Since there is no accepted reference material
made in succession or on one panel. suitable for determining the bias for the procedure in this test
10.3 Examine the impacted areas for cracking by one of the method, bias cannot be determined.
following methods:
10.3.1 Use a magnifier to examine the area for cracks. 13. Keywords
10.3.2 Hold a white flannel-type cloth saturated with the 13.1 cracking failure; extrusion indentation; intrusion in-
acidified copper sulfate (CuSO4) solution (7.1) over the im- dentation; impact failure

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 D2794 – 93 (2004)
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