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Ultrahard diamond indenter prepared from nanopolycrystalline diamond
H Sumiya1, K Harano, T Irifune
1Electronics and Materials R&D Laboratories, Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd, Itami, Hyogo 664-0016, Japan.
The Review of Scientific Instruments
|June 3, 2008
Summary
Nanopolycrystalline diamond (NPD) indenters offer superior high-temperature performance for hardness testing. These NPD indenters can withstand up to 1000°C without damage, unlike conventional diamond indenters.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Nanotechnology
- Mechanical Engineering
Background:
- Conventional single-crystal diamond indenters used in hardness testing fracture above 600°C.
- High-temperature mechanical property evaluation is crucial for advanced material applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate nanopolycrystalline diamond (NPD) indenters for high-temperature hardness testing.
- To compare the performance of NPD indenters against conventional single-crystal diamond indenters at elevated temperatures.
Main Methods:
- NPD indenters were synthesized from graphite via direct conversion sintering under high pressure and temperature.
- Indentation tests were conducted on NPD samples using both NPD and conventional diamond indenters at temperatures up to 1000°C.
- The structural integrity and indentation quality of the indenters were assessed post-testing.
Main Results:
- NPD indenters possess fine microstructures (10-100 nm grain size), enabling the formation of sharp, high-accuracy edges.
- NPD indenters successfully created measurable indentations on NPD samples without fracture or chipping up to 1000°C.
- Conventional single-crystal diamond indenters failed (fractured or chipped) at temperatures exceeding 600°C.
Conclusions:
- NPD indenters exhibit significantly enhanced thermal stability compared to conventional single-crystal diamond indenters.
- The superior performance of NPD indenters makes them highly suitable for high-temperature hardness testing applications.
- This advancement opens new possibilities for material characterization in extreme environments.
