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Updated: Mar 7, 2026
Atomic Force Microscopy Cantilever-Based Nanoindentation: Mechanical Property Measurements at the Nanoscale in Air and Fluid
Published on: December 2, 2022
Precise measurements of capsule mechanical properties using indentation
Joseph D Berry1, Srinivas Mettu1, Raymond R Dagastine1
1Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia. joe.d.berry@gmail.com rrd@unimelb.edu.au and Particulate Fluids Processing Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
Neglecting rigid substrates in capsule and particle compression tests leads to inaccurate material property measurements. Correction factors derived from simulations improve Young
Area of Science:
- * Physics and Materials Science
- * Mechanics of Soft Matter
Background:
- * Elastic theory is commonly applied to experimental data from capsule and particle compression.
- * The influence of a rigid substrate is often overlooked in these analyses.
- * This omission leads to significant under-prediction of material properties like Young's modulus.
Purpose of the Study:
- * To quantify the under-prediction of material properties when substrate effects are ignored.
- * To develop correction factors for accurate property measurement in capsule and particle compression.
- * To characterize the force-displacement relationship considering varying shell thicknesses and indenter geometries.
Main Methods:
- * Numerical simulations were performed for a range of geometries, from thin-shelled capsules to solid particles.
- * Simulations spanned various shell thicknesses and indenter radii.
- * Correction factors were derived based on the simulation results.
Main Results:
- * Neglecting the rigid substrate can lead to under-prediction of Young's modulus by up to 100%.
- * Correction factors were established to account for the presence of the substrate.
- * A scaling relationship between indentation force and displacement was characterized for diverse conditions.
Conclusions:
- * The rigid substrate significantly impacts the accuracy of material property measurements from compression tests.
- * The presented correction factors are crucial for reliable analysis of experimental data.
- * Understanding the force-displacement scaling provides deeper insights into the mechanics of compressed capsules and particles.
