Many web materials do not convey satisfactorily in manufacture or work, or both, as intended in service unless their surface contains a very thin layer of lubricant in the form of a wax, particulate, thin film coating, or fluid. It is often very expensive and time consuming to use surface chemical analysis techniques to quantify the presence of these films. A simple friction test like this one performs this function.

This test has been used for over twenty years to detect the presence of lubricants on the surface of photographic films at various stages in manufacture. In this instance the surfaces are lubricated with waxes and this test reliably detects if the wax is present. It is not used to quantify the amount of wax, only if it is present. This test can be used as a quality test to make sure that a lubricant is present. Test samples are normally compared with an unlubricated reference specimen. The coefficient of friction of the test samples is compared with the coefficient of friction of the unlubricated reference specimens to determine if a lubricant is present.

1.1 This test method has been used since 1988 as an ANSI/ISO standard test for determination of lubrication on processed photographic films. Its purpose was to determine the presence of process-surviving lubricants on photographic films. It is the purpose of this test method to expand the applicability of this test method to other flexible webs that may need lubrication for suitable performance. This test measures the breakaway (static) coefficient of friction of a metal rider on the web by the inclined plane method. The objectives of the test is to determine if a web surface has a lubricant present or not. It is not intended to assign a friction coefficient to a material. It is not intended to rank lubricants.

1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.

1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.