Pull-off adhesion test report template for ASTM D4541 tests

This template records field pull-off tests of coatings on rigid metal with portable adhesion testers. It sets no pass value and does not interpret results; it does not cover coatings on concrete, laboratory two-dolly tests under ISO 4624:2023 method A, or tape and cross-cut tests.

What is a pull-off adhesion test report template for, and who uses it?

A pull-off adhesion test report template is a blank form that captures every condition that changes a pull-off result, so a coating inspector, applicator QC lead or coating supplier's technical service engineer can hand over a value that another person can check and repeat. ASTM D4541-22 states that results vary when the glue, load fixture size, coating cure time, pull rate, environmental conditions, scoring or device change, and recommends that these parameters be agreed between the interested parties (ASTM D4541-22, 4.2). A report line that reads only "8 MPa, pass" (an illustrative line) loses all of that.

The template has two parts. The Word report holds the header fields: project, coating system, substrate, ambient conditions, tester, dolly, glue and the acceptance basis. The Excel dolly log holds one row per dolly with the pull-off value and the fracture split by layer, and a CSV copy of the same columns serves systems that import CSV but not xlsx. The Word report and the Excel log each have an instruction block and an example section marked illustrative, kept apart from the blank form; the CSV holds the dolly log header row only. The editable Word report and the Excel dolly log are at the end of this page.

Use the template when a specification, contract or failure investigation calls for pull-off testing to ASTM D4541-22 or ISO 4624:2023 on site. For reading what a value means, use a separate interpretation guide; this form records results and does not judge them.

Which fields does an ASTM D4541 pull-off adhesion test report need?

An ASTM D4541 pull-off adhesion test report needs fields for where and on what the test ran, the conditions at the time, the equipment and method, the dolly preparation, and one result line per dolly with its fracture nature. ASTM D4541-22 makes the method the first of these: "It is imperative to identify the test method used when reporting results." (ASTM D4541-22, 1.2). The purchaser or specifier also designates the method letter B to F and Protocol 1 (test to fracture) or Protocol 2 (pass/fail), and Protocol 1 applies when neither a protocol nor a pass/fail criterion is designated (ASTM D4541-22, 4.3).

The table below previews every field of the Word report, in its eight numbered sections, with its unit and an example value; all example values in the table are illustrative. The 21 dolly log columns of the Excel log and the CSV follow in the fracture section.

In this preview, the rows that decide comparability are the section 4 and 5 rows: two values are compared only when the method letter, dolly size and glue match. The specified minimum row keeps its source clause next to the value, because the same number can come from a project specification, a coating supplier's data sheet or a repair procedure, and a reviewer needs to know which one applies. Leave a field blank and write the reason rather than deleting the row, so every report has the same shape and a missing value stays visible. The coat rows ask for the DFT of each coat because a fracture that runs through coat 2 is read against coat 2's thickness, not only the total.

Which tester, dolly and adhesive details must a pull-off adhesion report name?

A pull-off adhesion report must name the tester type and its method letter, the protocol, the instrument serial and calibration date, the dolly diameter, the glue and its cure time, and whether the test area was scored. ASTM D4541-22 covers five instrument types as test methods B to F, and states that results should only be assessed for each test method and not compared with other instruments (ASTM D4541-22, 1.2). ISO 16276-1:2025 says the same for its acceptance procedure: "The results obtained using such different types of equipment are not comparable." (ISO 16276-1:2025, abstract).

Dolly size changes the measured area and the tester setting. One hydraulic tester manual lists 10, 14, 20 and 50 mm round dollies, each selected on the instrument before the pull (DeFelsko, 2025). The same manual notes that quick-curing cyanoacrylates may be sufficient for smooth coatings, while two-part epoxies are preferred for porous or rough coatings, and that the glue cures per its maker's instructions (DeFelsko, 2025). Record the glue product type and the actual hours from application to pull, not the nominal cure time.

Scoring is a field of its own because it changes the value. The manual states that the decision to cut around a dolly depends on the specified standard, specification or contract, and that cutting may induce microcracking that may alter test results (DeFelsko, 2025). Calibration needs a date: the same maker gives a one-year calibration interval from first use as a typical starting point, not a rule (DeFelsko, 2025).

How do you record the fracture type and percentage for each pull-off dolly?

Record each pull-off dolly's fracture as the percentage of the dolly face area that broke within each coat, at each interface between coats or at the substrate, and within the glue, with the shares adding to 100%. The DeFelsko tester manual states that "many National and International standards such as ASTM D4541 and ISO 4624 require the nature of the fracture to be recorded" in addition to the pull-off force (DeFelsko, 2025). It defines a cohesive fracture as one within a coating layer, an adhesive fracture as one at the interface between layers, and a glue failure as separation of the glue from itself, the coating or the dolly (DeFelsko, 2025).

The 21 dolly log columns below, in file order, are the same in the Excel log and the CSV, and they decide how one fracture is written down so a reviewer can rebuild it. The examples come from one illustrative row.

In the example row, a value of 9.1 MPa with 30% glue failure is recorded as it is and the remark column marks the dolly for retest; that row is illustrative. When the fracture runs through two or more layers, list each one in order from the substrate outward, so the log shows the path of the break and not only its largest share. Name layers by the coating system table, coat 1 next to the substrate, so "coat 2 cohesive" means the same thing on every row. A dolly with a large glue failure share is marked for a retest in the remark column rather than averaged with the other dollies.

How do you fill in a pull-off adhesion test report in the field?

Fill in a pull-off adhesion test report in seven steps, writing each value at the moment it is measured rather than from memory at the end of the shift.

1. Before any glue goes on, write the project, location, coating system and measured dry film thickness per coat. Measure DFT with a magnetic or eddy current gage to ASTM D7091-22, or on blast-cleaned steel to the ISO 19840:2012 procedure, as the specification requires.

2. Write the substrate, its preparation grade and the surface profile if known: preparation grades follow ISO 8501-1:2007 and field profile measurement follows ASTM D4417-21.

3. Take air temperature, surface temperature and relative humidity at glue application, and the dew point if the specification asks for the condensation check that ISO 8502-4:2017 gives guidance on.

4. Enter the tester type, method letter B to F or ISO 4624:2023 method B, protocol, serial and calibration date.

5. Prepare and glue the dollies as the tester manual describes, enter the dolly diameter, glue type and the clock time of application, and mark each dolly location on a sketch or photo. Handle the degreaser and glue under the product safety data sheet (SDS) and the site's rules for solvents and adhesives.

6. Score or not as the specification says, write the choice, then pull each dolly and log the value, the fracture split and the photo reference in one row.

7. Copy the specified minimum and its source clause, have the inspector and witness sign, and note the spot repairs needed. ASTM D4541-22 states the test can be destructive and spot repairs may be necessary (ASTM D4541-22, 1.4).

Step 6 is where reports most easily lose information, so log the fracture split and the photo before the next dolly is pulled.

What does an illustrative filled pull-off adhesion report look like?

An illustrative filled pull-off adhesion report for a three-coat system on a storage tank shell has a short header and a dolly log in which every value is traceable to a method, a dolly and a photo. The example below is illustrative: the project, readings and specified minimum are invented to show the format and are not test data or a recommended limit.

The illustrative header reads: Tank 3 shell, course 2, north face; zinc-rich epoxy primer, epoxy intermediate and polyurethane topcoat with a measured total DFT of 335 µm; carbon steel 8 mm. Conditions at glue application are air 22 °C, surface 24 °C and 55% relative humidity. Equipment is a hydraulic tester, ASTM D4541-22 Method E, Protocol 1, 20 mm dollies, two-part epoxy glue cured 24 h, scored to substrate.

The illustrative dolly log for that header reads as follows.

The remark column, which the log keeps beside these values, reads "Interface fracture noted" for D03 and "Glue share high; retest" for D04, and is empty for D01 and D02. The row that carries the decision in this illustrative log is D03: its value is above the illustrative specified minimum of 5.0 MPa, but 80% of the face broke at the primer to intermediate interface, which the report states for the reviewer rather than hiding in an average. Interpreting what that pattern means belongs to a separate result interpretation guide. Keep the photo names in the log identical to the file names on the camera or tablet, so the dolly face for D03 can be opened from the report without a second lookup.

When does an ASTM D4541 field report template not fit?

An ASTM D4541 field report template does not fit when the substrate, the test method or the purpose of the test is outside what ASTM D4541-22 and ISO 4624:2023 method B cover. ASTM D4541-22 was developed for metal substrates and may be appropriate for other rigid substrates such as plastic and wood, but loading rate and substrate flexibility must then be addressed by the user or specifier (ASTM D4541-22, Note 1). Results on surfaces that are not flat could show greater variability with lower values (ASTM D4541-22, Note 2), so a pipe test needs its own curvature fields.

Coatings on concrete use ASTM D7234-22, which covers pull-off strength of coatings on concrete with portable testers (ASTM D7234-22, 1.1). Laboratory tests on deformable substrates use the two-dolly method A of ISO 4624:2023, which this field form does not lay out. An acceptance inspection on protective paint systems for steel to ISO 16276-1:2025 also needs that standard's inspection areas, sampling plan and acceptance criteria, and the standard is "only applicable if a fracture strength value is specified, together with the type of test equipment and the manufacturer of the equipment." (ISO 16276-1:2025, abstract). It covers coatings on steel substrates not less than 3 mm thick (ISO 16276-1:2025, abstract).

The template also does not set a pass value: ISO 16276-1:2025 does not give fracture strength values for coatings, and the specified minimum always comes from the contract. In Lubinpla, an organization can set these report fields as its one work log template, which applies to work logs the agent writes and not to logs people write on the compose screen, with the dolly photos attached to the log.

Key takeaways

• Name the method letter, protocol, dolly size, glue, cure time and scoring on every report; values from different tester types are not compared.

• Log one row per dolly with the pull-off value, the fracture split by layer in percent area and a photo reference.

• Take temperature, humidity and DFT at the time of the test and keep the specified minimum with its source clause.

• Use ASTM D7234-22 for concrete and ISO 16276-1:2025 sampling rules for steel acceptance inspections.