Measurement methods in surface engineering

AbstractCurrent developments in the measurement of the properties of surfaces are reviewed with emphasis given to ongoing work at the National Physical Laboratory. Much of the activity is concerned with devising methods of measuring the mechanical properties of surface coatings, although the significant research on quantification of surface analysis methods is also described. Nanoindentation (or the mechanical property microprobe), a relatively new technique that is gaining wide acceptance and which allows load-displacement measurements to be carried out at nanometre resolution, is also given special emphasis.