Application of the compliance method to microhardness measurements of organic polymers

This paper presents an experimental and analytical study of the contact compliance and hardness of a number of organic polymers. The force-displacement data are used in conjunction with the indenter tip defect correction and a curve-fitting procedure to obtain the microhardness and Young's moduli values of the polymers. These microhardness values, obtained from the compliance method, are compared with similar results from the conventional imaging technique and it is shown that the compliance method is an effective means of evaluating the hardness of polymers. The effect of water as plasticizer on the surface mechanical properties of a nylon is also investigated using this technique.