Designation: D 522 – 93a (Reapproved 2008)

Standard Test Methods for

Mandrel Bend Test of Attached Organic Coatings1
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D 522; 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 (e) 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 determined. In Test Method A the coated panels are bent over
1.1 These test methods cover the determination of the a conical mandrel. In Test Method B the coated panels are bent
resistance to cracking (flexibility) of attached organic coatings over cylindrical mandrels of various diameters.
on substrates of sheet metal or rubber-type materials. 4. Significance and Use
1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the
standard. The values given in parentheses are for information 4.1 Coatings attached to substrates are elongated when the
only. substrates are bent during the manufacture of articles or when
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the the articles are abused in service. These test methods have been
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the useful in rating attached coatings for their ability to resist
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro- cracking when elongated. They have been useful in evaluating
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica- the flexibility of coatings on flexible substrates.
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use. 5. Test Specimen
2. Referenced Documents 5.1 Substrates:
2.1 ASTM Standards: 2 5.1.1 If the purpose of the test is to determine the percent of
D 823 Practices for Producing Films of Uniform Thickness elongation of the coating material, the substrate shall be
of Paint, Varnish, and Related Products on Test Panels cold-rolled steel strip 0.8 mm (1⁄32 in.) (22 gage) thick.
D 1005 Test Method for Measurement of Dry-Film Thick- 5.1.2 If the purpose of the test is to rate the coated material
ness of Organic Coatings Using Micrometers for resistance to cracking, the substrate may be any type of
D 1186 Test Methods for Nondestructive Measurement of sheet metal or rubber-type material (for example, steel, alumi-
Dry Film Thickness of Nonmagnetic Coatings Applied to num, tinplate, or synthetic rubber). The thickness of the sheet
a Ferrous Base3 metal may be less than 0.8 mm (1⁄32 in.) and the thickness of the
D 1400 Test Method for Nondestructive Measurement of rubber-type materials may be as great as 13 mm (1⁄2 in.).
Dry Film Thickness of Nonconductive Coatings Applied to 5.1.3 The recommended panel size is 100 mm (4 in.) in
a Nonferrous Metal Base3 width and 150 mm (6 in.) in length. The maximum size that the
conical mandrel can accommodate is 115 mm (41⁄2 in.) wide
3. Summary of Test Method and 190 mm (71⁄2 in.) long.
3.1 The coating materials under test are applied at uniform 5.1.4 The surface preparation of the substrate shall be
thickness to panels of sheet metal or rubber-type materials. agreed upon between the purchaser and the seller. Prior to the
After drying or curing the coated panels are bent over a application of the coating, round slightly the edges of metal
mandrel and the resistance to cracking of the coating is panels to remove burrs in order to eliminate anomalous edge
effects.
1
NOTE 1—If elongations are to be determined for coatings applied to
These test methods are under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D01 on
substrates other than 0.8 mm (1⁄32 in.) thick cold-rolled steel, they must be
Paint and Related Coatings, Materials, and Applications and are the direct
responsibility of Subcommittee D01.23 on Physical Properties of Applied Paint
measured with a special mandrel jig as described in Appendix X1.2.
Films. 5.2 Coated Panels:
Current edition approved Feb. 15, 2008. Published February 2008. Originally
approved in 1939. Last previous edition approved in 2001 as D 522 – 93a (2001).
5.2.1 Apply uniform coatings of the materials under test to
2
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or the substrates in accordance with Practices D 823 and air dry or
contact ASTM Customer Service at [email protected]. For Annual Book of ASTM bake under conditions mutually agreeable to the purchaser and
Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on the seller. If percent elongation is to be measured, a minimum
the ASTM website.
3
Withdrawn. thickness of 1.0 mil is required on 0.8 mm (1⁄32 in.) thick

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 D 522 – 93a (2008)
cold-rolled steel. Perform a minimum of three determinations 8.2 Move the lever through about 180° at uniform velocity
of coating thickness on each of the specimens in accordance to bend the specimen approximately 135°. If the purpose of the
with Test Methods D 1005, D 1186, or D 1400. test is to measure elongation, the bend should be 15 s. To
5.2.2 From precoated sheets cut at least three specimens of determine crack resistance under more simulated use condi-
the size given in 5.1.3. Use only plane (flat) sheets and round tions, the bend time should be about 1 s unless an alternative
the edges of the panels slightly as in 5.1.4. The coating surface time is agreed upon between the producer and the user.
shall be free of oil and other foreign matter that might increase 8.3 Examine the bent surface of the specimen immediately
the flexibility of the coating or interfere with the observation with the unaided eye for cracking. Having determined and
for cracking. Measure the film thickness as in 5.2.1. suitably marked the end of the crack farthest from the small
end of the mandrel, which shall be considered as the end point,
6. Conditioning and Number of Tests bring the drawbar to the starting position and remove the panel
6.1 Condition the test specimens for at least 24 h at 23 from the mandrel. Measure the distance from the farthest end
6 2°C ( 73.5 6 3.5°F) and 50 6 5 % relative humidity, and test of the crack to the small end of the mandrel. This distance is
in the same environment or immediately on removal therefrom used to compute the elongation. The mandrel diameter at
unless otherwise specified by the purchaser and seller. which cracking ceased is taken as the resistance to cracking
6.2 Test at least three replicate specimens in Test Method A value.
and at least two replicate specimens in Test Method B at each NOTE 2—In some cases, the measured distance is used as a measure of
mandrel diameter of interest. crack resistance.

TEST METHOD A—CONICAL MANDREL TEST 9. Calculation

7. Apparatus 9.1 When required, determine the elongation of the finish
from the plotted curve in Fig. 2. This curve represents the
7.1 Conical Mandrel Tester , consisting of a metal cone, a relationship between the percent elongation and the diameter of
rotating panel-bending arm, and panel clamps, all mounted on the conical mandrel for a 1.0 mil coating thickness. The
a metal base as illustrated in Fig. 1. relation between the distance along the conical mandrel and the
7.1.1 Cone, smooth steel, 8 in. (200 mm) in length, with a corresponding diameter has also been plotted on this curve.
diameter of 3 mm (1⁄8 in.) at one end and a diameter of 38 mm 9.2 Adjust the percent elongation value obtained from Fig.
(11⁄2 in.) at the other end. 2 for coating thickness by adding the correction obtained from
Fig. 3.
8. Procedure
8.1 With the operating lever of the apparatus in a horizontal NOTE 3—Example—Suppose visual examination of the finish on the
bent cold-rolled steel specimens 0.8 mm (1⁄32 in.) in thickness shows that
position, slip the test specimen between the mandrel and the
the end of the first crack in the coating is at a distance of 75 mm (3 in.)
drawbar with the finish side towards the drawbar. Rigidly from the small end of the cone. From Fig. 2 determine the percent
clamp the specimen in a vertical position adjacent to the elongation of the film from the measured crack distance, in this example
mandrel by placing the long edge behind the clamping bar in 5.2 %. To correct for coating thickness add the value obtained in Fig. 3. At
such a manner that the panel is always set up to the narrow end a crack distance of 75 mm (3 in.) the correction per 25 µm (1 mil) of
of the mandrel. Slip two sheets of No. 1 brown kraft wrapping coating thickness is 0.3 %. If the film thickness in the example is 50 µm
paper, substrate 30, thoroughly lubricated on each side with (2 mils), the actual percent elongation is 5.2 + (2 3 0.3) = 5.8 %.
talc, between the specimen and the drawbar and hold in 10. Report
position only by the pressure of the drawbar against the paper.
10.1 Report the following information:
10.1.1 Mean and range of coating elongation or resistance to
cracking values for each specimen,

FIG. 2 Distance Along Cone and Corresponding Mandrel Size

versus Percent Elongation for Specimens on Cold-Rolled Steel
FIG. 1 Conical Mandrel Test Apparatus 0.8 mm (1⁄32 in.) in Thickness

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 D 522 – 93a (2008)

FIG. 3 Correction for Thickness of Film

10.1.2 Mean and range of coating film thickness for each

specimen,
10.1.3 Specimen preparation procedures used,
10.1.4 Test conditions, and
10.1.5 Mean and range of elongation or resistance to crack-
ing, and film thickness for the replicate specimens.
11. Precision and Bias 4
11.1 Precision—On the basis of an interlaboratory test of
limited scope4 in which two coatings differing in their flexibil-
ity were tested at two different times by operators in three
laboratories, the intralaboratory standard deviation was found
to be 1.5 % elongation, and the interlaboratory standard devia-
tion was found to be 4.0 % elongation. Based on these standard
deviations, the following criteria should be used for at the 95 %
confidence level judging the acceptability of results:
11.1.1 Repeatability—Two determinations each the mean of
duplicates obtained by a single operator should be considered
to be suspect if they differ by more than 6 % in elongation.
11.1.2 Reproducibility—Two determinations each the mean
of duplicates obtained by operators in different laboratories
should be considered to be suspect if they differ by more than
15 % in elongation.
FIG. 4 An Illustration of a Cylindrical Mandrel Test Apparatus
11.1.3 Bias—Since there is no accepted reference material
suitable for determining the bias for the procedure in these test velocity in a time of 1 s unless an alternative time is agreed
methods for measuring flexibility, bias cannot be determined. upon between the producer and the user. Remove and examine
TEST METHOD B—CYLINDRICAL MANDREL TEST the panel immediately for cracking visible to the unaided eye.
If cracking has not occurred, repeat the procedure using
12. Apparatus successively smaller diameter mandrels on previously untested
12.1 Elongation Test Equipment, consisting of rods or areas of a specimen until failure occurs or until the smallest
surfaces, including cylindrical steel diameters of 25 mm (1 in.), diameter mandrel has been used.
19 mm (3⁄4 in.), 12.7 mm (1⁄2 in.), 9.5 mm (3⁄8 in.), 6.4 mm (1⁄4 13.1.1 This procedure can be applied as a “pass/fail’’ test by
in.), and 3.2 mm (1⁄8 in.), mounted on a metal base. An example determining whether cracking is produced by a specified
of an acceptable form of this device is illustrated in Fig. 4. mandrel size.
13.1.2 The resistance to cracking value for a coating is taken
13. Procedure as the mandrel diameter at which cracking ceases.
13.1 Place the test panel over a mandrel with the uncoated 13.2 To determine elongation of the applied coating, follow
side in contact and with at least 2 in. (50 mm) overhang on the procedure given in 13.1, using a bend time of 15 s.
either side. Using a steady pressure of the fingers, bend the 14. Calculation
panel approximately 180° around the mandrel at a uniform
14.1 Determine the elongation range of the material from
Table 1 in which the elongation of a 25 µm (1 mil) thick
4
Supporting data have been filed at ASTM International Headquarters and may coating on 0.8 mm (1⁄32 in.) cold-rolled steel is given for each
be obtained by requesting Research Report RR:D01–1069. mandrel diameter.

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 D 522 – 93a (2008)
TABLE 1 Elongation E = total elongation, %,
Mandrel Diameter, in. (mm) Elongation,% e1 = elongation from Table 1, %,
1 (25) 3.3 t = thickness, mils, and
⁄ (19)
34 4.4 c1 = correction factor from Table 2.
1⁄2 (12.7) 6.75
3⁄8 (9.5) 9.0
1⁄4 (6.4) 14.0 15. Report
1⁄8 (3.2) 28.0
15.1 Report the following information:
15.1.1 Mean and range of coating elongation or resistance to
TABLE 2 Correction for Film Thickness cracking values for each specimen,
15.1.2 Mean and range of coating thickness for each speci-
Mandrel Diameter, in. (mm) Correction Factor
men,
1 (25) 0.21
3⁄4 (19) 0.26
15.1.3 Specimen preparation procedures used,
1⁄2 (12.7) 0.38 15.1.4 Test conditions, and
3⁄8 (9.5) 0.50 15.1.5 Mean and range of elongation, resistance to cracking,
1⁄4 (6.4) 0.71
1⁄8 (3.2) 1.40
and film thickness for the replicate specimens.

16. Precision and Bias

14.2 If the coating thickness exceeds 25 µm (1 mil), correct 16.1 Results are not available to determine the precision of
the determined elongation for film thickness using the factors these test methods. These test methods have been in use for
for each mandrel diameter given in Table 2. Calculate the total many years and are considered acceptable for evaluating the
elongation of the coating as follows: crack resistance of attached coatings.
E 5 e1 1 tc1
17. Keywords
where: 17.1 cracking; flexibility; resistance—cracking

APPENDIX

(Nonmandatory Information)

X1. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ELONGATION AND MANDREL SIZE

X1.1 In the mandrel test, the specimens are elongated X1.2 The elongation values corresponding to mandrel
considerably past their elastic limit. Therefore, the elongations diameters in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 of these test methods were
obtained are considerably higher than elongation values calcu- obtained by direct measurements with a special mandrel jig.
lated from a theoretical equation that is based on the assump-
tion that the elastic limits of the specimens are not exceeded.

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