Influence of topography on the scratch and mar visibility resistance of randomly micro-textured surfaces

Abstract In this research, the influence of the macro- and micro-topography on randomly micro-textured polypropylene surfaces has been studied. An initial characterization of the underlying surface was carried out using three-dimensional (3D) technologies such as chromatic and white light confocal microscopy. A multi-scale analysis methodology was employed for analysing the surface at either macro- or micro-scales. Among others, topographic characteristics such as peak-to-valley symmetry and the amount of micro-asperities were analysed to quantitatively determine the scratch and mar visibility resistance. The results show that surfaces with higher symmetry in their functional height distributions yield lower lightness variation (ΔL*) between the scratch pattern and its residual background height (RBH). This allows for a better suitability in hiding the scratch damage. On the other hand, topographies with less amount of micro-asperities on top of the texture provided a better mar resistance. In these cases, deformation mechanisms such as ironing are minimized, resulting in a lower gloss variation and lower contrast between the damaged area and its surroundings.