Purpose: The paper presents a non-destructive method of determination of Young’s modulus and adhesion coefficient of different coating materials (metallic coatings, polymer, composite etc.). Some of the results obtained by applying this method are discussed in detail.
Design/methodology/approach: The presented method consists in measuring the dynamic response of the examined material in the form of a flat rectangular bar subjected to external periodic mechanical stress i.e. the so called vibrating reed technique. General equations describing elastic properties of the sample consisting of a substrate and a deposited coating are derived and discussed in detail.
Findings: It was shown that the application of the proposed approach to the metallic, polymeric and composite coatings allowed to obtain a quantitative data concerning the change of both the elastic properties and the adhesion coefficient with a change of: coating thickness, measurement temperature, chemical composition of coating, surface preparation or in the case of epoxy resin coatings with a change of curing time or curing temperature.
Research limitations/implications: The proposed method can be applied in many scientific problems in the field of coating materials (e.g. elastic properties of porous coating, crystallization of amorphous coating, adhesion of different polymeric coatings).
Practical implications: It was shown that the described method can be successfully used in optimisation of some technological processes of deposition of different coatings on metallic substrate.
Originality/value: The paper presents methodology of a non-destructive approach to determination of elastic properties and adhesion coefficient of coating materials with an overview of some applications already publish and also the new ones. Especially interesting are the results concerning the influence of surface preparation on adhesion coefficient which are published for the first time.
Keywords: Coating materials; Elastic properties; Young’
