The abrasiveness of a pigment is not identical to its intrinsic hardness, i. e., the hardness of its primary particles. In practice the Mohs hardness is therefore not a useful indication of the abrasiveness of a pigment. Abrasion rather depends on pigment particle size and shape and is usually caused by the sharp edges of the particles. A standard test procedure for determining abrasiveness does not exist. A method based on the abrasion of steel balls by the pigment is described in Ref. [1.17].
1.3