Find a clean surface on the tile to be tested.
Floor tile hardness.
The samples belong to the model systems based on kaolinite illite carbonate compo sition.
Known as the pei scale it is the standard consumers can rely on and refer to in order to determine which tiles to buy according to purpose and location.
The rating is for all enamel coated tiles including ceramic and porcelain products.
The pei scale was established by the porcelain enamel institute to help create standards consumers could rely on to help determine which tiles to buy for which purpose.
The tiles are rated from a soft 1 or talc to 10 or diamond the hardest tile available.
This is a rating that describes the material s coefficient of friction or cof.
The moh s scale uses ten fairly common minerals of known hardness and gives each of them a relative value of 1 10.
The pei categorization primarily defines the hardness and durability of the various ceramic products that are tested.
Most reputable manufacturers include a pei rating on their product packaging and literature.
It has created a pei rating for all types of tile materials including flooring tiles wall tiles and more.
Hardness value are concerned a phenomenon described as the load independent of hardness hlih or the true hardness 2 in this paper vickers macro and micro hardness of two types of ceramics floor tiles were presented.
To give the consumer a relative measurement of scratch resistance of tile and stone manufacturers and suppliers use the moh s hardness scale.
Ceramic and porcelain tiles are rated though most people seem to be more concerned about the.
The pei rating indicates the tile hardness and these ratings are valuable to help in tile choices for different projects.
The downsides not mentioned in your article is the hardness factor for people and aging population.
Glazed and unglazed tiles are rated for scratch resistance and hardness via the mohs scratch test.
An industry standard created by the porcelain enamel institute pei suggests five levels of floor tile hardness and their uses.
It does not measure the fracture strength of the entire tile nor does it offer any rating of the slip resistance of the tile.
Try to scratch this surface with the point of an object of known hardness by pressing it firmly into and across your test specimen.
This is the unknown.
Standing on tile flooring presents problems with people s feet knees and ankles over time.
The pei rating is and indication of tile hardness and pei floor ratings are valuable to guide tile choices for different projects.
It should be noted that the pei rating involves testing of only the surface wear layer of a tile s enamel glazing.
How to test tile hardness in 5 steps.