Measurement approaches to develop a fundamental understanding of scratch and mar resistance.

Instrumented indentation and confocal microscopy were used to characterize the surface mechanical answer of polymeric materials. Viscoelastic behavior was measured using instrumented indentation. A mould based on the contact between a rigid probe and a viscoelastic material was used to calculate values for the crawl compliance and stress relaxation modulus for sum of two units polymeric materials, epoxy and poly(methyl methacrylate) or PMMA. Scratch testing was performed upon these materials with various probes beneath a variety of conditions, and confocal microscopy was used to characterize the resulting deformation. Relationships among viscoelastic behavior, scratch damage, and appearance are commonly being explored using these manners ...