Effect of Additive on Hardness and Brittleness in Polycarbonate Films

Hardness and modulus of a polymer composite is known to depend on its structure, molecular weight, number of segments between entanglements and additives (filler). Nano-indentation is used increasingly as a powerful tool to determine hardness and visco-elastic modulus of polymer surfaces linear, cross-linked or composites. Hysitron Nanoindenter was used in our investigation of contact deformation of surfaces of filled polycarbonates supported on aluminum substrate. Bar coatings of polymer films were made from solution and dried all at 110C for half an hour. The results show that filled polycarbonate gives higher hardness than unfilled polycarbonate, which can give significantly different temperature dependence depending on molecular weight of the polycarbonate and structure of the filler. Depending on the type of filler and its concentration, the polycarbonate composite exhibits brittle-ductile transition at different strains. This behavior is analyzed in terms of chain mobility and free volume in the composite.