Mechanical test and friction-mapping on recycled polypropylene beads using atomic force microscopy

Mechanical tests at sub-micron scales using force microscopy are often used for the characterization of materials. Here we report the mechanical, tribologic, and morphological characterization of recycled polypropylene beads using force spectroscopy and lateral-force microscopy. The compression-elastic moduli calculated using the Hertzian model for polypropylene beads was between 0.448 +/- 0.010 and 1.044 +/- 0.057 GPa. The grain size analysis revealed a significant correlation between the grain size and measured compression-elastic moduli. Friction-maps of recycled polypropylene beads obtained using lateral-force microscopy were also reported for 25 mu m(2) scanning areas.

Automated summary

In this study, mechanical, tribologic, and morphological characterization of recycled polypropylene beads were conducted using force spectroscopy and lateral-force microscopy. The results showed a significant correlation between grain size and compression-elastic moduli of the beads. Friction-maps of the beads were obtained through lateral-force microscopy for 25 square micrometer scanning areas.