On the effect of substrate properties on the indentation behaviour of coated systems

Indentation Hardness Measurements at Macro-, Micro-, and Nanoscale: A Critical Overview

“…However, the rule is not valid all the time. Gamonpilas et al [80] investigated the effect of the substrate on the nanoindentation behavior of coated systems using a combination of dimensional and finite element analyses. They found that the critical indentation depth to coating thickness ratio below which the substrate material has a negligible effect on the indentation response of the coated system depends on the yield strength r y and Young's modulus E of the coating and substrate, i.e., r yc /r ys and E c /E s .…”

A comparison of models for predicting the true hardness of thin films

“…Tuck et al [5] report that, for a couple of 3.75 μm thick ZrN/steel sheets with an RID equal to 0.1, the measured hardness was only 88% of the coating hardness. In the case where the ratios between the yield strength and the Young's modulus of the coating and the substrate are greater to 10 and 0.1, respectively, the numerical simulations by Gamonpilas and Busso [6] show that the substrate begins to influence the hardness as soon as the penetration depth is equal to 5% of the coating thickness. The greater the differences in hardness and modulus between the hard coating and the soft substrate, the sooner the substrate begins to influence the measured hardness for small indentation depths.…”

Finite element method-assisted acquisition of the matrix influence on the indentation results of an embedded hard phase

“…Instrumented indentation testing, often called nano-indentation, is used for the mechanical characterization of thin coatings. The main challenge, which is subject of numerous prior research works, is to estimate the influence of the substrate on the measurements [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]. In order to evaluate the correct mechanical properties of a thin film, low loads and indentation depths are required.…”