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Advanced Nanoindentation Testing for Studying Strain-Rate Sensitivity and Activation Volume
Verena Maier-Kiener1, Karsten Durst2
1Department Physical Metallurgy and Materials Testing, Chair Physical Metallurgy and Metallic Materials, Montanuniversität Leoben, Roseggerstr. 12, 8700 Leoben, Austria.
JOM (Warrendale, Pa. : 1989)
|October 27, 2017
Summary
Nanoindentation testing reveals thermally activated deformation mechanisms by analyzing hardness and strain-rate changes. This method provides insights into material behavior influenced by crystal structure and microstructure.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Mechanical Engineering
- Solid Mechanics
Background:
- Nanoindentation is a key technique for evaluating local mechanical properties.
- Standard methods can be adapted to study thermally activated deformation processes.
- Understanding these processes is crucial for material design and performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present adapted nanoindentation protocols for probing thermally activated deformation.
- To demonstrate the determination of strain-rate sensitivity and activation volume.
- To review challenges, improvements, and applications of these methods.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing abrupt strain-rate changes within a single indentation to assess hardness and strain-rate dependency.
- Employing long-term creep experiments with dynamic contact stiffness to determine true contact area at lower strain rates.
- Analyzing data to deduce hardness, strain-rate, strain-rate sensitivity, and activation volume.
Main Results:
- Reliable deduction of mechanical properties and deformation parameters from single indentations.
- Successful characterization of thermally activated deformation mechanisms.
- Demonstration of the influence of crystal structure and microstructure on deformation behavior.
Conclusions:
- Adapted nanoindentation offers a versatile approach to investigate thermally activated deformation.
- The methods discussed provide valuable insights into material-specific deformation mechanisms.
- This technique is applicable to both pure and highly alloyed material systems.
