Current Project
Macromolecular Division
(IV)
Number: 1999-020-1-400 [ 4/1/99 ]
Title: Quantifying scratch resistance of commercial polymers
Coordinator(s): R.S.
Bailey - Access to list of
members
Remarks: Task Group of IUPAC Working Party IV.2.1
Objective:
The objective of the project is to consider the range of scratching,
abrasion and erosion techniques used in the plastics industry and to
apply a more fundamental understanding of the issues that contribute
towards scratch resistance. Using generic techniques to manufacture
materials with a so called 'scratch resistant' surface in acrylic and
polycarbonate polymers, the project aims to identify some key links
between bulk or coating mechanical properties and scratch and abrasion
resistance.
Description:
A range of generic amorphous polymers will be produced and these
will be available for characterisation in un-coated or coated forms.
Participants will be invited to make their contributions in a number
of areas:
- i) surface properties characterisation (nano- or micro-hardness, scratching,
abrasion, erosion, AFM or other localised deformation techniques,
- ii) bulk properties (modulus, toughness, stress-strain behaviour),
or
- iii) microstructural studies.
Data will be accumulated from industry tests such as Taber abraser
method and the newly developed instrumented techniques, including nano-indentation
and nano-scratching. This will cover a wide range of geometries, loads
and rates. It is anticipated that this part of the project will provide
a great deal of generic information, which will be of broad application
across the plastics community and will attempt to define any links between
the range of surface properties and the bulk properties.
The materials produced in this work could be used in future as reference
materials for scratch and abrasion studies in the plastics industry.
A further key contribution that can be made through this project is
to understand and relate the range of measurable parameters to one another,
these being weight or volume loss, scratch hardness or resistance, friction
coefficient, light reflection or transmission indexes such as 'haze'
and the operating fracture mechanisms.
An ambitious target for the project would be to be able to link bulk
and surface properties and to be able to predict multiple contact abrasion
from single point scratching measurements. This would not be a trivial
problem and could not expected to be fully understood within the scope
of this project, but could form the basis of further work which would
need to include modelling.
Progress:
Last update: 5 August 2001
Questions
or Comments about this Project
Please contact the Coordinator
Page last modified 15 March 2005
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