The impact resistance or elasticity of a floor covering material is its resistance to breaking along the entire thickness or to breaking off individual parts due to a strong impact. Ceramic tiles, in general, like all ceramic materials, are not elastic, that is, the tiles can break due to a strong impact. Therefore, when using ceramic tiles, especially glazed ceramic tiles, it is necessary to avoid dropping heavy, sharp objects. This precaution is not necessary when it comes to so-called elastic materials (linoleum, rubber, etc.).
In terms of chipping of part of the material, glazed ceramic tiles are most susceptible to this risk, since they are covered with a layer of glass - glaze - an extremely fragile and thin material, which, although bonded to the body of the tile, however, there is a physical and chemical interruption between them. The method for determining the impact resistance of ceramic tiles by measuring the rebound coefficient is specified in the standard EN ISO 10545-5:1997 , IDT. The rebound coefficient is determined by measuring the rebound height of a steel ball dropped from a specified height onto a fixed test piece. The risk of part of the material breaking off is much lower for unglazed tiles, especially for very dense materials, such as porcelain stoneware.
With regard to breaking the material throughout its thickness, it is necessary to emphasize the importance of a uniform, continuous base for the tiles. Obviously, the presence of voids under the tile significantly increases the risk of breaking it.
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Test procedure
A steel ball falls from a height of 1 m onto the test surface. Using an appropriate device, the rebound height is measured with an accuracy of ±1 mm and the rebound coefficient e is calculated. Alternatively, this method can be used to measure the time up to a millisecond between two impacts of the ball and, based on the results obtained, calculate the height and rebound coefficient. To determine the height of the rebound and the time interval between both impacts of the ball, any other suitable measuring device may be used.
The surface of the ceramic tile or slab is then examined for dents and cracks. Cracks that are not detectable with the naked eye or with glasses that are constantly worn are not taken into account. Destruction of the edges of tiles or slabs with profiled surfaces is noted, but is not taken into account during the assessment.
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