Quick Guide
Adhesion Testing (stylus, single point technique)
- sample tested "as is", no pre-test handling and manipulation that affect the results
- provide failure load for chipping, cracking, delamination, etc
- better reproducibility and better comparative test than conventional shear strength testing
- technique can distinguish samples with difference in properties smaller than 1%
Coating Thickness (ellipsometry)
- transparent and semi transparent thin coating/thin film
Coating Thickness (profilometry)
- transparent or opaque coating (step)
- transparent and semi transparent thick coating/layer
Creep, Elastic Modulus & Stiffness
- creep is measured using instrumented indentation
- elastic modulus is measured using instrumented indentation
- stiffness is measured using instrumented indentation
- technique can distinguish samples with difference in properties smaller than 0.5%
Fracture Toughness & Cracking
- fracture toughness is measured using instrumented indentation
- scratch testing can also be used to study cracking (crack initiation and propagation)
Hardness - Instrumented Indentation Testing (IIT) - Nanoindentation
- bulk materials and coatings
- glass, ceramic, metal, polymer, plastic, composite
- hard, soft, elastic materials
- technique can distinguish samples with difference in properties smaller than 0.5%
Hardness - Conventional Micro Hardness
- bulk materials
- coating thicker than 100microns (0.004inch)*
Instrumented Indentation Testing (IIT) - Nanoindentation
- hardness, elastic modulus, stiffness, creep and fracture toughness
- properties in function of depth
- uniformity of material in function of depth
- results do not depend on residual imprint and operator
- technique can distinguish samples with difference in properties smaller than 0.5%
Profilometry
- 2D and 3D topography
- Roughness & waviness
- Step height
- Radius of curvature
- Flatness
- Skewness, kurtosis
- Abbott-Firestone curve
Refractive Index & Coating Thickness (ellipsometry)
- transparent or semi transparent coating/thin film
Scratch Resistance Testing, comparative test for:
- cracking
- marring
- relative hardness
- scratch hardness
- permanent deformation/plastic deformation
- resistance to puncture
Wear & Friction Testing
- test path: circular or linear reciprocated
- kinetic coefficient of friction, with or without wear
- static coefficient of friction (value when sample is put in motion)
- wear rate
- coefficient of friction in function of distance or position
* Depth of indentation should not exceed 1/10 to 1/7 of coating thickness in order to limit the influence of the substrate on the measurement. Indentation should show NO signs of cracking.
