Continuous stiffness module

Other nanoindentation-based techniques have been developed in recent years that, instead of applying a static load and determining material stiffness from the unloading curve, employ an oscillating force [157]. Such is the case of the continuous stiffness module (GSM), which enables us to determine the contact stiffness throughout the whole experiment during loading, and thus has proved to be a useful technique in the study of polymer s plastic and elastic properties [158]. 

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