Effects of indentation depth on micro hardness and scratch behavior of thin composite laminate

•Substrate layer became “hardened”.•Change of Vickers hardness of composite with thin plate layer.•Scratch behavior of composite with thin plate layer.•Plastic flow and pile-up of substrate layer were restrained.

The effects of indentation depth on micro hardness and scratch behavior of an 80 μm thick copper/aluminum composite laminate were discussed. When the indentation depth exceeded the thickness of the plate layer (C1100 copper, 10 μm), the measured hardness gradually decreased as the indentation depth increased. When the indentation depth increased to a relatively large value, the Vickers hardness manifested as a slight decrease, and the micro morphology of the scratch zone of the substrate layer was relative smooth and flat compared with the plate layer. The main reasons of the variation of micro hardness and scratch behavior were that the plate layer and interfacial adhesion have restrained the pile-up behaviors and plastic flow of the substrate layer.

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