Pigmented mineral-filled polypropylene (PP-PMF) is marketed as a potential
alternative to acrylonitrile-butyldiene-styrene (ABS) and Polycarbonate/ABS
for automotive interior components. PP-PMF is more easily damaged by surfa
ce scratch/mar, thus limiting its acceptance for such applications. This st
udy focuses on investigating the scratch/mar mechanisms of PP-PMF having di
fferent mineral fillers and additives. A new method is introduced to charac
terize the scratch visibility by image analysis. A correlation is found bet
ween scratch visibility and scratch hardness measured by interferometer. It
is found that Wollastonite filler imparts higher scratch/mar resistance. A
ddition of an interface modifier and a lubricant can further improve scratc
h/mar resistance. It is also found that Talc-filled PP-PMF has poor scratch
/mar resistance, irrespective of the addition of an interface modifier or a
lubricant.