ISO 24338:2022

Overview

ISO 24338:2022 defines laboratory procedures to measure the abrasion resistance of laminate floor coverings. It specifies two test methods - Method A and Method B - that quantify the number of revolutions or abrasion cycles required to produce a defined degree of wear-through of the laminate surface layer. The standard focuses on reproducible abrasion testing for quality control, product development and comparative evaluation of laminate flooring.

Key topics and technical requirements

• Two test methods
  • Method A: Rotates a disc-shaped test specimen against a pair of loaded cylindrical rubber-covered wheels fitted with specified abrasive paper (open coated 180 grit aluminium oxide). Rotation speed is (60 ± 2) rpm; wheel load is (5,4 ± 0,2) N.
  • Method B: Abrades the face of the specimen using specified abrasive grit fed to two loaded leather abrading wheels; wheel load is (10 ± 0,2) N.
• Apparatus details
  • Specimen holder ~105 mm diameter; permitted concentricity deviation ±2 mm/m.
  • Abrasive wheels: 50 mm diameter, (12,7 ± 0,1) mm width, rubber hardness (65 ± 3) IRHD or Shore A.
  • Abrasive strips: 12,7 mm wide, open coated 180 grit Al2O3 with defined particle-size distribution.
  • Suction/ dust extraction and a revolution counter to record cycles; vacuum of 1,5–1,6 kPa for Method A.
• Calibration & maintenance
  • Calibration plates (rolled zinc, specified thickness and Brinell hardness) and calibration/maintenance procedures are covered (Annex A).
  • Hardness measurement method for wheels described (Annex B).
• Sampling & evaluation
  • Three samples taken from three different flooring elements (updated in the 2022 edition).
  • Abrasion evaluation in octants (revised from quadrants).
• Limitations
  • The standard notes that the precision of the methods is not yet established; a precision statement will be added when inter-laboratory data are available.

Applications and who uses this standard

ISO 24338:2022 is used by:

• Flooring manufacturers for product development and production quality control.
• Independent testing laboratories performing durability and comparative wear tests.
• Product certifiers and conformity assessment bodies assessing claims about wear resistance.
• Specifiers, architects and procurement teams who require objective abrasion data to select laminate flooring for commercial or residential projects.
• R&D teams optimizing surface layers (wear layers, coatings) and comparing formulations.

Practical outcomes include validated wear-performance data for specifications, lifetime estimates, competitive benchmarking and informed purchasing decisions.

Related standards

• ISO 48, ISO 868, ISO 7267-2 (hardness tests)
• ISO 6506-1 (Brinell hardness)
• FEPA standards (abrasive grain specifications)
• ASTM D785 (Rockwell hardness for plastics)