Single-pass pendulum scratching of poly(styrene) and poly(methylmethacrylate)

Scratching abrasion is a particular kind of damage which occurs with localised grooving on the material surface. This paper presents an account of results for two glassy polymers, poly(styrene) and poly(methylmethacrylate), undergoing single-point scratching. The technique adopts a pendulum sclerometer device with sharp points mounted at one extremity. The technique, which is reviewed in some detail is demonstrated to be a convenient means to evaluate the energy dissipated at the interface during the scratching contacts and provides a first order estimate of the scratch resistance of polymeric surfaces. The results show that the contact parameters strongly affect the surface resistance and that the present technique facilitates the investigation of those parameters upon the deformation energy at the interface. SEM imaging provides a first order assessment of the surface response to the abrasion and the conditions under which the material shows highly abrasive deformation (ductile to brittle damage) can be identified. (C) 1999 Published by Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.