What Does
Taber Abrasion Mean?
Taber abrasion is a method used to determine the ability of a material to withstand wear. Taber abrasion is evaluated using what is known as a Taber abrasion test or Tabor abrader. Taber abrasion uses two abrasive wheels that the material being evaluated is rotated underneath for a given time and under a given load.
The Taber abrasion test is performed on coated materials because if a coating is allowed to wear away then the base material will be exposed to the environment and lead to premature failure due to corrosion.
Corrosionpedia Explains Taber Abrasion
Taber abrasion was invented by Taber Industries. Since its invention, it has become one of the most prominent forms of testing the wear resistance of materials. To perform a Taber abrasion test, a material sample is loaded into a Taber Abraser machine. The Taber Abraser has two abrasive wheels that are lowered onto the material under a constant load for a set amount of time. After the Taber Abraser completes its cycle, the material being tested is evaluated by determining the amount of weight lost versus the test time and the load applied.
Many different materials can be evaluated by Taber abrasion. Taber abrasion can be used to evaluate base metals, ceramics, polymers and fabrics. Taber abrasion tests are frequently performed on coating materials.
An example is a pipeline that is buried in the ground. The pipeline's coating is tested to ensure that it is able to withstand the wear created by the soil and other ground materials shifting around it.