Papers by Keyword: Nanoindentation

Abstract: To study quantitatively the effect of heat treatment on the microstructure, composition and mechanical property in a new single crystal nickel-based superalloy for industrial gas turbine (IGT) applications, the eutectic fraction, carbide fraction, and the fraction, size, shape and distribution of the γ ́ phase was characterized by quantitative metallographic method, the evolution of chemical composition and hardness between core and inter dendrite was tested through EMPA and nanoindentation. The experimental results indicate that: The eutectic fraction decreases from (0.52±0.08) % to (0.03±0.01) %. The carbides fraction decreases from (0.23±0.04) % to (0.12±0.03) %, and Feret ratio decreases from 3.21±2.54 to 2.14±0.98. The γ ́ fraction increases from (55.66±4.18) % to (73.78±3.24) % in core dendritic region, from (64.82±1.44) % to (70.11±3.10) % in inter dendritic region. The γ ́-size is 406±111(nm) in core dendritic region and 918±384(nm) in inter dendritic region before heat treatment, 359±69(nm) in core dendritic region and 361±57(nm) in inter dendritic region after heat treatment. The γ ́-cuboidal degree is 1.08±0.20 in core dendritic region and 1.14±0.23 in inter dendritic region before heat treatment, 1.08±0.19 in core dendritic region and 1.02±0.14 in inter dendritic region after heat treatment. The solidification segregation coefficient of main segregation elements, such as Re, W, Hf, Ta, Al, and Mo, is closer to 1, with an average decrease of 27% after heat treatment. The hardness and modulus increase in core and inter dendritic, and their inhomogeneity is reduced between cores and inter dendritic. The improvement of properties result from the improvement of size uniformity and cuboidal degree of γ ́, and the reduction of carbides and eutectic through element homogeneity during heat treatment. The solidification segregation coefficient of main segregation elements, such as Re, W, Hf, Ta, Al, and Mo, is closer to 1, with an average decrease of 27% after heat treatment. With the addition of refractory elements, some elements partition to the dendrite core, while other elements tend to accumulate in the interdendritic liquid and then solidify as the interdendritic and eutectic regions during solidification. The hardness and modulus increase in core and inter dendritic, and their inhomogeneity is reduced between cores and inter dendritic. The improvement of properties result from the improvement of size uniformity and cuboidal degree of γ ́, and the reduction of carbides and eutectic through element homogeneity during heat treatment.

Abstract: Undoped and transition metals (TM = Cr, Ni, Mn and Cd) doped zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films were prepared by sol-gel dip-coating method on glass substrates at 300 °C. In this study, the effect of dopant material on the structural, morphological, optical, electrical and mechanical properties of ZnO thin films is investigated by using XRD, AFM, UV-Vis, Hall effect and nanoindentation techniques, respectively. Nanocrystalline films with a ZnO hexagonal wurtzite structure and two preferred orientations (002) and (103) were obtained. UV-Vis transmittance spectra showed that all the films are highly transparent in the visible region (> 80 %). Moreover, the optical band gap of the films decreased to 3.13 eV with an increasing orbital occupation number of 3d electrons. AFM-topography shows that the films are dense, smooth and uniform, except for the high roughness RMS =26.3 nm obtained for Cd-doped ZnO. Finally, the dopant material is found to have a significant effect on the mechanical behavior of ZnO as compared to the undoped material. For Ni and Cd dopants, analysis of load and unload data yields an increase in the hardness (8.96 ± 0.22 GPa) and Young’s modulus (122 ± 7.46 GPa) of ZnO as compared to Cr and Mn dopants. Therefore, Ni and Cd are the appropriate dopants for the design and application of ZnO-based nanoelectromechanical systems.

Abstract: Nanomechanical properties of iron borides, FeB and Fe₂B were studied in Fe-Mn-B ternary alloys. The alloys were produced by arc melting method using high purity powders, which were subsequently annealed at temperature of 873 K and 1223 K, until fully equilibrated for a time period of 2160 hours and 1440 hours, respectively. Based on results obtained from experimental study and thermodynamic modeling of Fe-Mn-B system the solubility of Mn in these borides was determined. For the purpose of this study the influence of heat treatment temperature, as well as, the solubility of Mn in these borides on their nanomechanical properties is investigated. Nanomechanical properties, including determination of indentation modulus and hardness were measured using nanoindentation testing machine equipped with Berkovich type diamond indenter. The indentation process was carried out using an indentation depth controlled method, to a maximum depth of 500 nm.

Abstract: Zirconium-based alloys are commonly used as a material for nuclear fuel claddings in the light water reactors. The cladding material must function to fix a huge number of pellets, while conducting heat into the coolant that flows turbulently around the fuel rods. Cladding tubes can contain gaseous fission products that escape the fuel. Thus, by functioning as a sealed unit, it prevents a contamination of the coolant water with high-radioactive fission products. The integrity of claddings is always a critical issue during reactor operation and wet or dry storage and transport of the spent fuel rods. Moreover, the role gains importance at Loss of Coolant Accidents (LOCA). After Fukushima accident, cladding materials are widely studied with the purpose to reduce the high-temperature oxidation rate and enhance accident tolerance. In our contribution, we introduce the studies on Zr-1Nb (E110) cladding tubes after high-temperature steam oxidation at 1350 °C. During the testing of claddings, microscopy analytical methods play an important role in experimental verification of pseudo-binary phase diagram Zr1Nb-O, i. e. particularly in oxygen content determination at phase transitions. Wave Dispersive Spectroscopy (WDS) with complementary nano-indentation method were used to characterize the Zr1Nb microstructure formed after LOCA. It includes the regions from an oxide and oxygen-stabilized α-Zr(O) to the acicular prior β-Zr phase. The decrease of hardness and Young's modulus corresponds with oxygen content measured in line-profiles by WDS. The oxygen level at transition points was partly determined from Fe, Nb β-stabilizers and significant change in mechanical properties in fine-grained prior β-Zr. The slight fluctuation of oxygen values in adjacent grains can be caused by preferential oxidation through the favorably oriented α-Zr(O) grains studied by WDS+EBSD. As well, the non-uniform oxygen-rich α-Zr(O) phase adjacent to the oxide was characterized by EBSD & WDS. Increasing hydrogen content in specimens, 10, 700 and 1000 ppm H, caused increasing solubility of oxygen in prior β-Zr phase upon high-temperature and the cladding material hardening.

Abstract: Depending on the composition and structure of metallic glasses cells with the dimensions in the range from tenths nanometers to tenths micrometers were observed on the ductile fracture surface. The variation in dimple size was compared with the serrations presented on the loading curve at the nanoindentation of the metallic glasses with different compositions. Higher instantaneous deformation can be connected with simultaneous shearing at more suitable shear band configurations. The cell morphology with the various cell sizes is observed at the failure of the metallic glasses. At the failure of high strength metallic glasses, the cells are formed in short time due to the release of high amount of stored elastic energy. In this case the uniform cell morphology with the cell size of about 20 nm is observed.

Abstract: The paper investigates deformations and plastic properties received from different material volumes and tests of magnesium samples. Small volume characteristics gained on single Mg crystals are compared to polycrystalline AZ31 alloy. Results of tests employing nanoindentation, focused ion beam milling and electron backscatter diffraction techniques are presented. Large differences were found between micro-beam testing and spherical indentation tests having the volume one order of magnitude apart. The plastic strength scaling factor was found 1.7 for the studied grain configurations and volumes.

Abstract: The thermoelastic stress, mechanical properties and defect content of bulk 4H n-type SiC crystals were investigated following adjustments to the PVT growth cell configuration that led to a 40% increase in growth rate. The resulting 150 mm wafers were compared with wafers produced from a control process in terms of wafer bow and warp, and dislocation density. Wafer shape was found to be comparable among the processes, indicating minimal impact on internal stress. Threading edge and threading screw dislocation densities increased and decreased, respectively, while basal plane dislocation densities were unaffected by the increase in growth rate. Loss of wafer planar stability was observed in certain cases. The elastic modulus was measured to be in the range of approximately 420-450 GPa for selected stable and unstable wafers, and was found to correspond to resistivity.

Abstract: Tin-Silver-Copper (SnAgCu) lead-free solder on Electroless Nickel Immersion Gold (ENiG) and Immersion Tin (ImSn) surface finish printed circuit board was subjected to blast test. A variation of intermetallic compounds (IMC) layer, hardness and reduced modulus of soldered sample exposed to blast test were intensively investigated using optical microscope and nanoindentation machine. Formation of IMCs due to reaction between solder and substrate during blast test provided deleterious effect of metallurgical bond strength and reliability on the solder joint. Microstructural analysis was evaluated via Infinite Focused Microscope (IFM). The findings of these studies indicate that best surface finished for blast test performance was not necessarily the best surface finish for optimum reliability. ENiG and ImSn surface finish can be advantage or a disadvantage depending on the application, package and reliability requirements. As a result, most component assemblers are using ENiG and ImSn in order to improve solderability as well as the wettability between solder and the substrate and to meet various package requirements.

Abstract: We studied the microstructure and nanomechanical properties of cast samples of the alloy Mg61Cu28Gd11, obtained by the original method. The alloy Mg61Cu28Cd11 is distinguished by a particularly high glass transition property. In this study samples with a diameter of 16 mm were obtained an inert atmosphere with a cooling rate of 1K/s. Liquid alloy Mg61Cu28Gd11 before crystallization was heated to 780 °C. It was previously installed that, with such heating, irreversible structural changes occur in the melt, which increase the tendency of the metal to glass transition. A metallographic study of the microstructure was performed using a scanning electron microscope and EDS-analysis. Nanohardness HV and Young's modulus E Mg₂CuCd and Mg₂Cu were measured using the nanoindentation method.The microstructure of the Mg61Cu28Cd11 alloy in the cast state consists mainly of Mg₂Cu dendrites; the interdendritic space is represented by the Mg₂CuCd phase. The presence of exogenous nonmetallic inclusions of a complex composition CdO + CuO + MgO was also established by the method of micro X-ray spectral analysis.Analysis of the measurement data of HV(GPa), E (GPa) gave a conclusion about the same degree of homogeneity of the mechanical properties of dendrites and interdendritic space.

Abstract: Effect of Ti (C,N) based cermets granule on the microstructure, mechanical properties, sintering and fracture behavior of Ti (C,N) based cermets was investigated. Results show that the Ti (C,N) based cermets granules distribute in the matrix homogeneously. A nanoindentation study was performed on hard phase and binder phase in the matrix and granule. With the increase of granules content, sintering properties is worse. With the increase of granules content, transverse rupture strength (TRS) and relative density decrease gradually, while the hardness has an opposite trend. The fracture toughness increases firstly with increasing granule, and then decreases with the further increase of granules. Higher fracture toughness of the cermets is mainly owing to the crack branch and higher fracture energy of coarse granule.