Grindometer
A grindometer is a device for measuring the granularity of a pigment preparation ( paste ) or a lacquer . It is mostly made of stainless steel. The measurement of the degree of pigment rub-out with the grindometer (eng. To grind = to grind) according to Hegman is described in DIN 53 203 or DIN EN 21 524 and ISO 1524.
To test, a sample of about 0.1-0.5 ml is first applied to the lower end of the wedge-shaped recess of the grindometer and then spread with a squeegee ( straight edge ). Then the layer thickness at which the paint film looks rough as a result of stripes or punctiform marks is determined with the eye using the scale . This can be used to determine the size and number of granular particles or agglomerates . The advantage of this method is that the measurement can be carried out very quickly (within a few minutes) and only very little sample material is used. This allows you to follow process steps in the production of paints and pastes.