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Updated: Aug 6, 2026

Determining the Mechanical Strength of Ultra-Fine-Grained Metals
Published on: November 22, 2021
Nanoscale anisotropic plastic deformation in single crystal aragonite
C Kearney1, Z Zhao, B J F Bruet
1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
Abstract:
The nanoscale anisotropic elastic-plastic behavior of single-crystal aragonite is studied using nanoindentation and tapping mode atomic force microscopy imaging. Force-depth curves coaxial to the axis exhibited load plateaus indicative of dislocation nucleation events. Plasticity on distinct slip systems was evident in residual topographic impressions where four pileup lobes were present after indentation with a conospherical probe and distinct, protruding slip bands were present after indentation with a Berkovich pyramidal probe. A finite element crystal plasticity model revealed the governing roles of the {110}<001>slip system family, as well as the (100)[010], (100)[001], (010)[100], (010)[001], (001)[100] and (001)[010] systems.
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