Introduction to the Nanovea Series Nano Scratch Tester
The Nanovea Series Nano Scratch Tester’s ability to characterize the film/substrate system, and to quantify parameters such as friction force, and adhesive strength using a variety of complementary methods make it an invaluable tool for research, development and quality control. During the test a sharp metal tip or a Rockwell C diamond is drawn across the coated surface with an increasing load resulting in various types of failure at specific critical loads. Critical loads are identified optically using a built-in video microscope. Once known, these critical loads are used to quantify the adhesive and cohesive properties of different films/substrate combinations. Additionally, failure points can be determined by using frictional force and depth measurement. These parameters constitute a unique signature of the coating system under test.
The Nanovea Nano Scratch Tester exploits a normal force range to 500 mN, and is well suited for adhesion failure studies of thin films and coatings with thickness below 500 nm. With its long scratch path and very precise load control, the Nanovea Nano Scratch Tester is an important tool for the study of crack initiating and marring applications on all kinds of polymers such as varnish clear-coats used in the automobile industry. Substrate non-uniformities such as curvature, can be compensated for by performing a low load pre-scan which profiles the sample surface. This data is then used to adjust the scratch data for true depth. A similar post scratch profile reveals plastic and elastic properties of the film.
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