Modification of the mechanical properties of a sol-gel coating using silica filler nanoparticles

It is generally considered that the incorporation of stiff and hard filler particles will improve the mechanical properties of a composite, where the magnitude of the improvement should increase with decreasing particle size. In this communication, the effect of the volume fraction particles on the mechanical properties of coatings as measured with indentation testing is illustrated for particle filled transparent organic-inorganic coatings on float glass, which are produced using a sol-gel process. The authors show that the elastic modulus and hardness increase with increasing solid content, whereas the fracture toughness and the residual stress show a minimum.