Standardization of a volumetric displacement measurement for two-body abrasion scratch test data analysis

A limitation has been identified in the existing test standards used for making controlled, two-body abrasion scratch measurements (ASTM Standard G 171) based solely on the width of the resultant score on the surface of the material. A new, more robust method is proposed to complement the current two-body scratch test standard for analyzing a surface scratch that takes into account the full three-dimensional (3D) profile of the displaced material. To accomplish this, a set of four volume displacement metrics are systematically defined by normalizing the overall surface profile to statistically denote the area of relevance, termed the ‘Zone of Interaction’ (ZOI). From this baseline, depth of the trough and height of the ploughed material are factored into the overall deformation assessment. A complete set of roughness parameters are calculated on the fresh surface and resulting abraded surface to aid in shape change characterization of the material. Proof of concept data were collected and analyzed to demonstrate the performance of this proposed methodology. This technique takes advantage of advanced imaging capabilities that now allow resolution of the scratched surface to be quantified in greater detail than was previously achievable. A quantified understanding of fundamental particle–material interaction is critical to anticipating how well components can withstand prolonged use in highly abrasive environments, specifically for our intended applications on the surface of the moon and other planets or asteroids, as well as in similarly demanding, harsh terrestrial settings.