Polymer Applications
Measuring nanomechanical properties to understand the performance of polymers
Polymers are a highly versatile class of material which are found in all areas of engineering from avionics to biomedical devices and the development and implementation of these rely on polymer applications and data provided through rigorous testing. The applications of polymeric materials and their composites are still growing rapidly due to their low cost and ease of manufacture. This in turn fuels further advances in research and development. Better understanding of the materials properties in differing environments and temperature ranges is central to sourcing the correct polymer materials to suit the application.
Assessing time dependant behaviour
Thermal stability of the test instrument is key to meaningful measurements of the viscoelastic properties of time-dependent materials. At room temperature the thermal drift of the NanoTest is extremely low, typically an order of magnitude less than some other commercial systems.
High temperature testing
The advantages this offers become more pronounced as temperatures are elevated, thanks to the unique, separate heating (and active temperature control) of both probe and sample ensuring no heat flow occurs during the indentation process.
Use the NanoTest Vantage to investigate:
- Viscoelastic properties
- Nanotribology
- Elevated temperature nanoindentation
- Sub-ambient temperature nanoindentation
- Testing in fluid environment
- Ultra-high strain rate testing
- Ultra-low load tests
- Nano-scale fatigue testing