The imaged material is a blend of Polypropylene and EPDM, which is the
commonest form of thermoplastic elastomers (TPE). This material is widely used for automobile interiors (indoor panels) and bumpers. Pulsed Force images obtained on TPE material are shown on figures 1,2,3.
Figure1 illustrates an adhesion map on coating material. Brighter color contrast
means higher adhesion. The data show that the adhesion of EPDM is higher
than that of polypropylene.
Topography image of the same scan area is shown on Figure2. Please, note all 3
images, adhesion map, stiffness map and topography are obtained
simultaneously.
Polypropylene is the hard segment, and EPDM is the soft segment. Compared to
EPDM, polypropylene has higher stiffness. In the stiffness area, Figure3,
the brighter color contrast means higher stiffness. |
