Determination of the elastic moduli of silicone rubber coatings and films using depth-sensing indentation

Depth-sensing indentation (DSI) has been used to determine the elastic moduli of silicone rubber coatings on substrates and freestanding films at micro-penetration depth. Complete elastic behavior for rubber-like films was observed for the first time. Substrate effects are hardly observed when the indentation displacement is less than 10% of the total coating thickness. The calculated elastic moduli of the silicone rubber films from the DSI measurements are in good agreement with those measured by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), showing that the DSI technique is a reliable and convenient tool for an accurate estimation of the elastic modulus of a rubber-like coating/film.