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