High Temperature Nanomechanics

During nanoindentation a diamond tip of known geometry makes an impression in a sample, with a penetration depth and force dynamically measured at resolutions of nanometers and micronewtons, respectively. The resulting force-depth curve can be analyzed to give bulk properties such as modulus and hardness, as well as to study deformation mechanisms.  Nanoindentation has traditionally been a room temperature technique, but in collaboration with Hysitron, Inc. we have customized a Triboindenter to allow high temperature nanoindentation up to 400˚C with negligible thermal drift and no loss of resolution. This capability expands the utility of nanoindentation to include determination of properties as a function of temperature and investigation of thermally-activated deformation mechanisms, as well as in situ imaging at elevated temperatures.  Ongoing work includes adapting the technique to other testing environments and higher temperatures to further expand our experimental capabilities.

See also the review article Nanoindentation studies of materials from Materials Today

Nanoindenter with custom heating stage and transducer cooling system allow high temperature nanoindentation (up to 400˚C) with negligible thermal drift and no loss of resolution.

Published Articles:

In situ measurements of surface tension-driven shape recovery in a metallic glass
Corinne E. Packard, Jan Schroers, Christopher A. Schuh, SCRIPTA MATERIALIA 60, 1145, 2009 (PDF)

Nanoindentation and contact-mode imaging at high temperatures
Schuh CA, Packard CE, Lund AC; JOURNAL OF MATERIALS RESEARCH 21 (3): 725-736 MAR 2006 (PDF)

Determining the activation energy and volume for the onset of plasticity during nanoindentation
Mason JK, Lund AC, Schuh CA; PHYSICAL REVIEW B 73 (5): Art. No. 054102 FEB 2006 (PDF)

Quantitative insight into dislocation nucleation from high-temperature nanoindentation experiments
Schuh CA, Mason JK, Lund AC; NATURE MATERIALS 4 (8): 617-621 AUG 2005 (PDF)

Incipient plasticity during nanoindentation at elevated temperatures
Lund AC, Hodge AM, Schuh CA; APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS 85 (8): 1362-1364 AUG 2004 (PDF)

New regime of homogeneous flow in the deformation map of metallic glasses: elevated temperature nanoindentation experiments and mechanistic modeling
Schuh CA, Lund AC, Nieh TG; ACTA MATERIALIA 52 (20): 5879-5891 DEC 2004 (PDF)