EN 
ES 
DE 
FR 
IT 
ZH 
JA 
PT 
TR 
KO 
PL 
AR Category: Laboratory Testing
Viscoelastic Analysis of Rubber
Viscoelastic Analysis of Rubber
Learn more
Tires are subjected to cyclical high deformations when vehicles are running on the road. When exposed to harsh road conditions, the service lifetime of the tires is jeopardized by many factors, such as the wear of the thread, the heat generated by friction, rubber aging, and others.
As a result, tires usually have composite layer structures made of carbon-filled rubber, nylon cords, and steel wires, etc. In particular, the composition of rubber at different areas of the tire systems is optimized to provide different functional properties, including but not limited to wear resistant thread, cushion rubber layer, and hard rubber base layer.
A reliable and repeatable test of the viscoelastic behavior of rubber is critical in quality control and R&D of new tires, as well as evaluation of the life span of old tires. Dynamic Mechanical Analysis(DMA) during Nanoindentation is a technique of characterizing the viscoelasticity. When controlled oscillatory stress is applied, the resulting strain is measured, allowing users to determine the complex modulus of the tested materials.
A Better Look at Paper
Paper has played a large role in information distribution since its invention in the 2nd century [1]. Paper consists of intertwined fibers, typically obtained from trees, that have been dried into thin sheets. As a medium for information storage, paper has allowed the spread of ideas, art, and history over long distances and through passing time.
Today, paper is commonly used for currency, books, toiletries, packaging, and more. Paper is processed in different ways to obtain properties to match their application. For example, the visually appealing, glossy paper from a magazine is different compared to rough, cold-pressed watercolor paper. The method in which paper is produced will affect the surface properties of the paper. This influences how ink (or other medium) will settle onto and appear on the paper. To inspect how different paper processes affect surface properties, Nanovea inspected the roughness and texture of various types of paper by conducting a large area scan with our 3D Non-Contact Profilometer.
Click to learn about the Surface Roughness of Paper!
A BETTER Look at Polycarbonate Lens
A BETTER Look at Polycarbonate Lens
Learn more
Polycarbonate lenses are commonly used in many optical applications. Their high impact resistance, low weight, and cheap cost of high-volume production makes them more practical than traditional glass in various applications [1].
Some of these applications require safety (e.g. safety eyewear), complexity (e.g. Fresnel lens) or durability (e.g. traffic light lens) criteria that are difficult to meet without the use of plastics. Its ability to cheaply meet many requirements while maintaining sufficient optical qualities makes plastic lenses stand out in its field. Polycarbonate lenses also have limitations. The main concern for consumers is the ease at which they can be scratched. To compensate for this, extra processes can be carried out to apply an anti-scratch coating.
Nanovea takes a look into some important properties of plastic lens by utilizing our three metrology instruments: Profilometer, Tribometer, and Mechanical Tester.
Click to Read More!
Scratch Testing on Multi-Layered Thin Film
Coatings used extensively throughout multiple industries to preserve the underlying layers, to create electronic devices, or to improve surface properties of materials. Due to their numerous uses coatings are extensively studied, but their mechanical properties can be difficult to understand. Failure of coatings can occur in the micro/nanometer range from surface-atmosphere interaction, cohesive failure, and poor substrate-interface adhesion. A consistent method to test for coating failures is scratch testing. By applying a progressively increasing load, cohesive (e.g. cracking) and adhesive (e.g. delamination) failures of coatings can be quantitatively compared.
Dynamic Mechanical Analysis With Nanoindentation
The quality of corks depends heavily on its mechanical and physical property. Its ability to seal wine can be identified as these important factors: flexibility, insulation, resilience, and impermeability to gas and liquids. By conducting dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) testing, its flexibility and resilience properties can be gauged with a quantifiable method. These properties are characterized with Nanovea Mechanical Tester’s Nanoindentaion in the form of Young’s modulus, storage modulus, loss modulus, and tan delta (tan (δ)). Other data that can be gathered from DMA testing are phase shift, hardness, stress, and strain of the material.
Mechanical Properties of Silicon Carbide Wafer Coatings
Understanding the mechanical properties of silicon carbide wafer coatings is critical. The fabrication process for microelectronic devices can have over 300 different processing steps and can take anywhere from six to eight weeks. During this process, the wafer substrate must be able to withstand the extreme conditions of manufacturing, since a failure at any step would result in the loss of time and money. The testing of hardness, adhesion/scratch resistance and COF/wear rate of the wafer must meet certain requirements in order to survive the conditions imposed during the manufacturing and application process to insure a failure will not occur.
Micro Scrape Test Of Polymeric Coating
Scratch testing has developed to be one of the most widely applied methods to evaluate the cohesive and adhesive strength of the coatings. The critical load, at which a certain type of coating failure occurs as the applied load progressively increases, is widely regarded as a reliable tool to determine and compare the adhesive and cohesive properties of the coatings. The most commonly used indenter for scratch testing is the conical Rockwell diamond indenter. However, when the scratch test is performed on the soft polymeric coating deposited on a brittle substrate such as silicon wafer, the conical indenter tends to plough through the coating forming grooves rather than creating cracks or delamination. Cracking of the brittle silicon wafer takes place when the load further increases. Therefore, it is vital to develop a new technique to evaluate the cohesion or adhesion properties of soft coatings on a brittle substrate.
ASTM D7187 Temperature Effect Using Nanoscratching
ASTM D7187, the resistance of the paint to scratch and mar plays a vital role in its end use. Automotive paint susceptible to scratches makes it difficult and costly to maintain and repair. Different coating architectures of the primer, basecoat, and clearcoat have been developed to achieve the best scratch/mar resistance. Nanoscratch testing has been developed as a standard test method to measure the mechanistic aspects of scratch/mar behavior of paint coatings as described in ASTM D7187. Different elementary deformation mechanisms, namely elastic deformation, plastic deformation and fracture, occur at different loads during the scratch test. It provides a quantitative assessment of the plastic resistance and fracture resistance of the paint coatings.
Textile Abrasion Wear By Tribometer
The measurement of textile abrasion resistance of fabrics is very challenging. Many factors play a role during the test, including the mechanical properties of the fibers, the structure of the yarns and the weave of the fabrics. This may result in poor reproducibility of test results and create difficulty in comparing values reported from different laboratories. Wear performance of the fabrics is critical to the manufacturers, distributors, and retailers in the textile production chain. A well-controlled quantifiable and reproducible Tribometer wear resistance measurement is crucial to ensure reliable quality control of the fabric production.
Self Cleaning Glass Coating Friction Measurement
Self cleaning glass coating possesses a low surface energy that repels both water and oils. Such a coating creates an easy-clean and non-stick glass surface that protects it against grime, dirt and staining. The easy-clean coating substantially cuts the water and energy usage on glass cleaning. It does not require harsh and toxic chemical detergents, making it an eco-friendly choice for a wide variety of residential and commercial applications, such as mirrors, shower glasses, windows and windshields.
