Scratch resistance of automobile clearcoats: Chemistry and characterization on the micro-and nanoscale

The scratch resistance of polymeric clearcoats intended for automobile exterior surfaces was tested with scanning 3D nanoindentation and laboratory car wash simulation (AMTEC). It could be shown by using “real world” samples with comparable scratch resistance that the applied methods were suitable for discriminating even small differences in scratch resistance with high accuracy. In the area of physical characterization of scratch resistance, the results of this investigation demonstrate the ability of microscopic, single-contact testing methods to reproduce the macroscopically experienced results.