Showing papers on "Indentation published in 2005"

Damage Mechanisms around Hardness Indentations in Ti3SiC2

Abstract: Microstructural observations of damage around indentations in Ti 3 SiC 2 are presented. The Vickers hardness decreased with increasing load and asymptotically approached 4 GPa at the highest loads. No indentation cracks were observed even at loads as high as 300 N. Preliminary strength versus indentation plots indicate that, at least for the large-grained material (100 μm) studied here, Ti 3 SiC 2 is a damage-tolerant material able to contain the extent of microdamage to a small area around the indent. The following multiple energy-absorbing mechanisms have been identified from scanning electron micrographs of areas in the vicinity of the indentation: diffuse microcracking, delamination, crack deflection, grain push-out, grain pull-out, and the buckling of individual grains.

Nanoindentation of coatings

Abstract: A range of mechanical properties of a coating/substrate system may be obtained using indentation tests, and with the emergence of continuously recording indentation testing with nanometre penetration (often called nanoindentation) the mechanical properties of very thin coatings (<1 µm) and surface treated layers may be measured. This paper reviews the deformation mechanisms which occur and the methods for extracting mechanical properties of coatings from nanoindentation load–displacement curves and introduces the differences observed when compared with the testing of bulk materials. The importance of the relative hardness of coating and substrate on the response of the system is highlighted, and the use of energy-based models for the prediction of the performance of single and multilayered systems is discussed.

Nanoporous Au: A high yield strength material

Abstract: The plastic deformation of nanoporous Au under compressive stress was studied by depth-sensing nanoindentation combined with scanning electron microscope characterization. The nanoporous Au investigated in the current study exhibits a relative density of 42%, and a spongelike morphology of interconnecting ligaments on a length scale of ∼100nm. The material is polycrystalline with a grain size on the order of 10–60nm. Microstructural characterization of residual indentation impressions reveals a localized densification via ductile (plastic) deformation under compressive stress and demonstrates the ductile behavior of Au ligaments. A mean hardness of 145(±11)MPa and a Young’s modulus of 11.1(±0.9)GPa was obtained from the analysis of the load-displacement curves. The hardness of investigated np‐Au is ∼10 times higher than the hardness predicted by scaling laws of open-cell foams thus potentially opening a door to a class of high yield strength—low-density materials.

Measuring fracture toughness of coatings using focused-ion-beam-machined microbeams

Abstract: Measuring the toughness of brittle coatings has always been a difficult task. Coatings are often too thin to easily prepare a freestanding sample of a defined geometry to use standard toughness measuring techniques. Using standard indentation techniques gives results influenced by the effect of the substrate. A new technique for measuring the toughness of coatings is described here. A precracked micro-beam was produced using focused ion beam (FIB) machining, then imaged and loaded to fracture using a nanoindenter.

Viscoelastic characterization of polymers using instrumented indentation. I. Quasi-static testing

Abstract: The use of instrumented indentation to characterize the mechanical response of polymeric materials was studied. A model based on contact between a rigid probe and a linear viscoelastic material was used to calculate values for the creep compliance and stress relaxation modulus for two glassy polymeric materials, epoxy and poly(methyl methacrylate), and two poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) elastomers. Results from bulk rheometry studies were used for comparison with the indentation stress relaxation results. For the two glassy polymers, the use of sharp pyramidal tips produced responses that were considerably more compliant (less stiff) than the rheometry values. Additional study of the deformation remaining in epoxy after indentation creep testing as a function of the creep hold time revealed that a large portion of the creep displacement measured was due to postyield flow. Indentation creep measurements of the epoxy with a rounded conical tip also produced nonlinear responses, but the creep compliance values appeared to approach linear viscoelastic values with decreasing creep force. Responses measured for the unfilled PDMS were mainly linear elastic, with the filled PDMS exhibiting some time-dependent and slight nonlinear responses in both rheometry and indentation measurements. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 43: 1794–1811, 2005

Comparison of nano-indentation hardness to microhardness

Abstract: With a nano-indenter and a microhardness testing machine, nano-indentation hardness and microhardness are measured in a wide load range (0.1–19600 mN) for five materials. Even fused silica and silicon almost have constant hardness during the load range, the nano-indentation hardness of copper, stainless steel and nickel titanium alloy shows obvious indentation size effect, namely that the hardness decreases with the increase of depth. For the measured materials, the nano-indentation hardness is about 10–30% in magnitude larger than the microhardness. The main reasons can be explained as the analysis of the nano-indentation hardness using the projected contact area at peak load A c instead of the residual projected area A r , as well as the purely elastic contact assumption describing the elastic/plastic indentation process. The analysis based on a simple model indicates that A c is always smaller than A r , and the more heavily the indent piles up (or sinks in), the larger the difference between the nano-indentation hardness and microhardness.

A numerical approach to spherical indentation techniques for material property evaluation

Abstract: In this work, some inaccuracies and limitations of prior indentation theories, which are based on experimental observations and the deformation theory of plasticity, are investigated. Effects of major material properties on the indentation load-deflection curve are examined via finite element (FE) analyses based on incremental plasticity theory. It is confirmed that subindenter deformation and stress–strain distribution from deformation plasticity theory are quite dissimilar to those obtained from incremental plasticity theory. We suggest an optimal data acquisition location, where the strain gradient is the least and the effect of friction is negligible. A new numerical approach to indentation techniques is then proposed by examining the FE solutions at the optimal point. Numerical regressions of obtained data exhibit that the strain-hardening exponent and yield strain are the two key parameters which govern the subindenter deformation characteristics. The new indentation theory successfully provides a stress–strain curve and material properties with an average error of less than 3%.

Quantitative evaluation of indentation-induced densification in glass

Abstract: To estimate the ratio of densification to Vickers indentation volume, three-dimensional images of Vickers indentations on several glasses, including silicate glasses and bulk metallic glass (BMG), were obtained before and after annealing using an atomic force microscope. Large volume recovery of Vickers indentation by annealing was observed for all glasses but BMG. Following previous studies, this recovered volume almost corresponded to the densified volume under a Vickers indenter, and the compositional dependence of densification was discussed. The ratios of densification to the total indentation volume for silica and soda-lime glasses were 92% and 61%, respectively. It was concluded that densification was a general property for silicate glasses and that the ratios of densification to the total indentation volume for all the glasses correlated well with Poisson’s ratios of the glasses.

A Crossover in the Mechanical Response of Nanocrystalline Ceramics

Abstract: Multimillion-atom molecular dynamics simulation of indentation of nanocrystalline silicon carbide reveals unusual deformation mechanisms in brittle nanophase materials, resulting from the coexistence of brittle grains and soft amorphous grain boundary phases. Simulations predict a crossover from intergranular continuous deformation to intragrain discrete deformation at a critical indentation depth. The crossover arises from the interplay between cooperative grain sliding, grain rotations, and intergranular dislocation formation similar to stick-slip behavior. The crossover is also manifested in switching from deformation dominated by indentation-induced crystallization to deformation dominated by disordering, leading to amorphization. This interplay between deformation mechanisms is critical for the design of ceramics with superior mechanical properties.

Spherical indentation creep following ramp loading

Abstract: Elastic-viscoelastic correspondence, utilizing Boltzmann integral operators, was used to generate displacement–time solutions for spherical indentation testing of viscoelastic materials. Solutions were found for creep following loading at a constant loading rate and compared with step-loading solutions. Experimental creep tests were performed with different loading rate–peak load level combinations on glassy and rubbery polymeric materials. The experimental data were fit to the spherical indentation ramp–creep solutions to obtain values of shear modulus and time-constants; good agreement was found between the experimental results and known modulus values. A multiple ramp-and-hold protocol was examined for the measurement of creep responses at several loads (and depths) within the same test. Emphasis is given to the use of multiple experiments (or multiple levels within a single experiment) to test a priori assumptions made in the correspondence solutions regarding linear viscoelastic material behavior and the creep function.

Elastic Response of Thermal Spray Deposits under Indentation Tests

Abstract: The elastic response behavior of thermal spray deposits at Knoop indentations has been investigated using indentation techniques. The ratio of hardness to elastic modulus, which is an important prerequisite for the evaluation of indentation fracture toughness, is determined by measuring the elastic recovery of the in-surface dimensions of Knoop indentations. The elastic moduli of thermal spray deposits are in the range of 12%-78% of the comparable bulk materials and reveal the anisotropic behavior of thermal spray deposits. A variety of thermal spray deposits has been examined, including Al2O3, yttria-stabilized ZrO2(YSZ), and NiAl. Statistical tools have been used to evaluate the error estimates of the data.

Hertzian-crack suppression in ceramics with elastic-modulus-graded surfaces

Abstract: Hertzian (spherical) indentation experiments were carried out in a graded alumina-glass composite whose Young`s modulus increased with depth beneath the indented surface. An in situ processing method involving impregnation of a dense, fine-grained alumina by an aluminosilicate glass was employed to fabricate such a composite. With this technique, a monotonic, unidirectional variation in Young`s modulus of as much as 50% was introduced over a distance of approximately 2 mm, while keeping the coefficient of thermal expansion and the Poisson ratio for the glass and the alumina nearly the same. The macroscopically graded, elastic composite so produced with nearly full density has essentially no macroscopic, long-range residual stresses following processing. The unidirectional variation in Young`s modulus under the indenter is shown to fully suppress the formation of Hertzian cone cracks. Without these elastic-modulus gradients, cone-crack formation was observed in bulk glass and alumina. Finite-element analyses of spherical indentation on elastically graded substrates were also performed to develop a quantitative understanding of the experimental trends. It is reasoned that the present innovations, involving functionally graded surfaces and their in situ processing, provide new possibilities for enhancing certain contact-damage resistance characteristics in various ceramic materials for a broad range of engineering applications. Furthermore,more » this contact-damage-resistance phenomenon in functionally graded ceramics is elastic in nature, and is, therefore, likely to be immune to mechanical fatigue within the elastic limit.« less

Investigation of the mechanical properties of thin films by nanoindentation, considering the effects of thickness and different coating–substrate combinations

Abstract: In order to further investigate nanoindentation data of film-substrate systems and to learn more about the mechanical properties of nanometer film-substrate systems, two kinds of films on different substrate systems have been tested with a systematic variation in film thickness and substrate characteristics. The two kinds of films are aluminum and tungsten, which have been sputtered on to glass and silicon substrates, respectively. Indentation experiments were performed with a Nano Indent XP II with indenter displacements typically about two times the nominal film thicknesses. The resulting data are analyzed in terms of load-displacement curves and various comparative parameters, such as hardness, Young's modulus, unloading stiffness and elastic recovery. Hardness and Young's modulus are investigated when the substrate effects are considered. The results show how the composite hardness and Young's modulus are different for different substrates, different films and different film thicknesses. An assumption of constant Young's modulus is used for the film-substrate system, in which the film and substrate have similar Young's moduli. Composite hardness obtained by the Joslin and Oliver method is compared with the directly measured hardness obtained by the Oliver and Pharr method.

Representative strain of indentation analysis

Abstract: Indentation analysis based on the concept of representative strain offers an effective way of obtaining mechanical properties, especially work-hardening behavior of metals, from reverse analysis of indentation load–displacement data, and does not require measuring of the projected contact area. The definition of representative strain adopted in previous studies [e.g., Dao et al., Acta Mater. 49, 3899 (2001)] has a weak physical basis, and it works only for a limited range in some sense of engineering materials. A new indentation stress-state based formulation of representation is proposed in this study, which is defined as the plastic strain during equi-biaxial loading. Extensive numerical analysis based on the finite element method has shown that with the new formulation of representative strain and representative stress, the critical normalized relationship between load and material parameters is essentially independent of the work-hardening exponent for all engineering materials, and the results also hold for three distinct indenter angles. The new technique is used for four materials with mechanical properties outside the applicable regime of previous studies, and the reverse analysis has validated the present analysis. The new formulation based on indentation stress-state based definition of representative strain has the potential to quickly and effectively measure the mechanical properties of essentially all engineering materials as long as their constitutive behavior can be approximated into a power-law form.

Mechanical properties of ZnS nanobelts.

Abstract: Mechanical properties of ZnS nanobelts were measured at room temperature by direct nanoindentation experiments. It was found that the ZnS nanobelts achieve 79% increase in hardness but 52% decrease in elastic modulus compared to bulk ZnS. The nanobelts were found to exhibit creep under indentation. Indentation cracking was preferred along the belt growth direction. Indentation deformation behavior and fracture mechanisms of the ZnS nanobelts are discussed in conjunction with their crystalline structure, size effect, and surface-to-volume ratio.

Relationships Between Initial Unloading Slope, Contact Depth, and Mechanical Properties for Conical Indentation in Linear Viscoelastic Solids

Abstract: Using analytical and finite element modeling, we examine the relationships between initial unloading slope, contact depth, and mechanical properties for spherical indentation in viscoelastic solids with either displacement or load as the independent variable. We then investigate whether the Oliver-Pharr method for determining the contact depth and contact radius, originally proposed for indentation in elastic and elastic-plastic solids, is applicable to spherical indentation in viscoelastic solids. Finally, the analytical and numerical results are used to answer questions raised in recent literature about measuring viscoelastic properties from instrumented spherical indentation experiments.

Absence of one-to-one correspondence between elastoplastic properties and sharp-indentation load penetration data

Abstract: The connection between parameters that can be measured by means of instrumented indentation with the real mechanical properties has been a matter of discussion for several years. In fact, even hardness is not a readily measurable magnitude since the real contact area depends on both the elastic and plastic properties of the sample. Recently, Dao et al. [ Acta Mater49, 3899 (2001)] proposed a method based on numerical fittings to calculate by a forward-reverse algorithm the elastoplastic properties of a sample from the load-penetration curve obtained with a sharp indenter. This work will show, in contrast, that it is not possible to measure uniquely these mechanical properties of a sample in that way.

Elastic modulus of shape-memory NiTi from in situ neutron diffraction during macroscopic loading, instrumented indentation, and extensometry

Abstract: The elastic modulus of B19’ shape-memory NiTi was determined using three techniques; from the response of lattice planes measured using in situ neutron diffraction during loading, instrumented indentation using a spherical indenter and macroscopic extensometry. The macroscopic measurements resulted in a modulus of 68 GPa, significantly less than the 101 GPa from indentation and the lattice plane average of 109 GPa from neutron diffraction. Evidence from the neutron measurements suggests that the disparity derives from the onset of small amounts of twinning at stresses less that 40 MPa, which might otherwise be considered elastic from a macroscopic view point.

Estimation of Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio of soft tissue from indentation using two different-sized indentors: finite element analysis of the finite deformation effect.

Abstract: Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio of a tissue can be simultaneously obtained using two indentation tests with two different sized indentors in two indentations. Owing to the assumption of infinitesimal deformation of the indentation, the finite deformation effect of indentation on the calculated material parameters was not fully understood in the double indentation approach. However, indentation tests with infinitesimal deformation are not practical for the measurement of real tissues. Accordingly, finite element models were developed to simulate the indentation with different indentor diameters and different deformation ratios to investigate the finite deformation effect of indentation. The results indicated that Young's modulus E increased with the increase in the indentation deformation w, if the finite deformation effect of indentation was not considered. This phenomenon became obvious when Poisson's ratio v approached 0.5 and/or the ratio of indentor radius and tissue thickness a/h increased. The calculated Young's modulus could be different by 23% at 10% deformation in comparison with its real value. The results also demonstrated that the finite deformation effect to indentation on the calculation of Poisson's ratio v was much smaller. After the finite deformation effect of indentation was considered, the error of the calculated Young's modulus could be controlled within 5% (a/h = 1) and 2% (a/h = 2) for deformation up to 10%.