Overview
EN ISO 28080:2021 - Hardmetals: Abrasion tests for hardmetals is a CEN-endorsed adoption of ISO 28080:2021 that specifies a generic rotating-wheel test method to determine the abrasive wear characteristics of hardmetals. The standard provides a flexible framework for laboratory abrasion testing that can simulate abrasive damage under a range of controlled conditions (dry/wet, different abrasive sizes, varied chemical environments and counterface wheel stiffness such as steel or rubber).
Key Topics
- Scope and purpose: Defines a generic abrasion test suitable for comparative measurements, research and quality control of hardmetals (powder-metallurgy carbides and related composites).
- Test materials: Requirements and guidance for test pieces, abrasives and reference materials.
- Counterface (wheel) options: Use of different wheel materials and sizes (e.g., steel, rubber or neoprene) to represent varied contact stiffness.
- Apparatus and controls:
- Rotating-wheel test systems and abrasive-feed mechanisms
- Wheel-speed control and calibration of abrasive flow
- Vacuum extraction and fluid flow provisions for wet testing
- Instrumentation for force, friction and mass-loss measurement
- Procedure essentials:
- Test-piece preparation, cleaning and weighing
- Clamping, test start/stop and interrupted-test handling
- Typical operating conditions and number of repeat tests
- Results and reporting:
- Expression of results for single-step and multiple-step tests
- Calculation of abrasion rate, graphical trends of wear, friction and normal force
- Uncertainty of measurement and required elements of the test report
Applications
- Laboratories and test houses conducting comparative abrasion testing for hardmetals.
- R&D teams evaluating new carbide compositions, binders or microstructures for improved abrasion resistance.
- Quality control in powder metallurgy and hardmetal manufacturing to track batch-to-batch consistency.
- Material selection for components expected to face abrasive environments (mining parts, wear components), where controlled simulation of abrasive damage is required.
Note: EN ISO 28080:2021 complements industry-specific wear testing but is not a universal predictor of performance in cutting or milling operations - abrasion tests simulate specific abrasive conditions and should be interpreted accordingly.
Related Standards
- ASTM G65 - Dry sand/rubber wheel test (comparable geometry)
- ASTM G105 - Wet sand/rubber wheel test
- ASTM B611 - Steel wheel high-stress abrasion test
These methods are referenced in the ISO introduction; EN ISO 28080:2021 provides a harmonized framework for reproducibility and comparability across such rotating‑wheel abrasion tests.
