Papers by Keyword: Nanoindentation

Abstract: Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of metal-metallic glass (Al-Cu₅₀Zr₅₀) multilayer during nanoindentation is carried out to investigate the load-displacement response, mechanical properties and deformation mechanisms. The indentation study is carried out at temperatures in the range of cryogenic to room temperature (10 K-300 K). The indenter speeds are varied between 0.5-5 Å/ps to study the effect of loading rate. The interaction between Al-Cu-Zr atoms are defined by EAM (Embedded Atom Method) potential. A sample size of 200 Å × 200 Å × 200 Å (in x y z-direction) comprising of 538538 atoms is used for nanoindentation. P P S boundary condition (BC) in x y z direction and NVT ensemble are used. We observed a peak load of 117 nN, at a temperature of 10 K with a loading rate of 5 Å/ps. We found that as the loading rate increase, the peak load also increases. As anticipated, the increase in temperature decreases the strength of the multilayer. The atomic displacement vector plots reveal that MG act as hurdles to the movement of dislocations nucleated at the interface.

Abstract: This study was performed to improve the adhesiveness of a diamond-like carbon (DLC, a-C:H) layer film with an a-SiC interlayer. In previous studies, an a-SiC/DLC layer film was formed and changes in the DLC film structure and hardness caused by the thickness of the a-SiC layer were examined. After the a-SiC interlayer thickness increased and the G-peak position shifted to a lower frequency, the peak began shifting to higher frequencies. The G-peak position reached a minimum frequency at a film thickness of approximately 0.3 μm. In contrast, as the thickness of the a-SiC interlayer increased, the FWHM of the G-peak position increased almost monotonically and the number of sp³ bonds also increased. As the interlayer thickness increased, the hydrogen content in the DLC film increased, and then began decreasing, with the interlayer film thickness exhibiting a local maximum at approximately 0.3 μm. As for the DLC film hardness, a correlation between the hydrogen content and half width of the G-peak position was observed. When the hydrogen content was ≤40 at%, a positive correlation with the FWHM (G) was observed, and when the hydrogen content was 40 at% or above, a negative correlation with FWHM (G) was found. The adhesiveness of the DLC film and substrate was improved by forming an a-SiC thin film as an interlayer. The effects of the a-SiC thin film on DLC film quality were determined.

Abstract: The limitations of aluminium in most engineering applications has led to the development of aluminium matrix composites with improved microstructural and mechanical properties. Nanoindentation techniques was used in assessing the mechanical properties of fabricated aluminium matrix composites with ferrotitanium and silicon carbide as reinforcements. Results from nanoindentation experiments shows the dependence of modulus of elasticity, microhardness and contact depth on the dispersion of ferrotitanium and silicon carbide reinforcements within the aluminium matrix. Highest nanohardness value was observed in composite with 7 wt. % silicon carbide, while the lowest elastic modulus was recorded in as-cast aluminium. Further analysis of specimens confirmed a decrease in maximum penetration depth with respective increase in the addition of silicon carbide reinforcements in the fabricated composites.

Abstract: Ti6Al4V coatings were cold sprayed onto the same bulk alloy at standard conditions, using 800 °C as gas temperature, and a set of new conditions, using 1100°C as gas temperature, which improved coatings performance. Some of these coatings, processed with innovative parameters, were heat treated to promote adhesion and reduce porosity. Scratch tests were performed using a nanoindenter Agilent G200 and the effect of both normal load and scratch velocity were explored. The different mechanisms responsible of wear were evaluated, identifying ploughing and cutting as the main abrasion mechanisms. The wear rate measured in the standard coating was the highest, indicating that this material could not be used to repair the bulk component. However, the abrasion resistance measured in the coatings sprayed at 1100°C was similar to that found in the bulk substrate. Therefore, cold spray could be used for repairing using the new conditions evaluated in this work.

Abstract: In this paper, recently developed ternary FeAl20Si20 (wt.%) alloy with promising high-temperature oxidation and wear resistance was prepared by mechanical alloying in a high-energy ball mill. The possibility to speed-up the mechanical alloying process by replacing aluminium (and partly silicon) elemental powder by the pre-alloyed powder (AlSi30) with relatively fine dispersion of Si in the Al-Si eutectic was examined. The microstructure, phase composition and mechanical properties after various time of mechanical alloying were characterized. The effect of using the pre-alloyed powders on kinetics of mechanical alloying is compared with the results obtained on batches prepared from elemental powders.

Abstract: The properties of a resin transfer molded sheet of strand-reinforced composite for automotive applications are investigated at the microscopic level. Three components of the composite can be identified in the bright field micrograph – glass fibers, epoxy matrix and binder. The latter having been added in manufacturing process. Accelerated Nanoindentation with 64.451 single indentation experiments is performed at room temperature to generate a mechanical property map of an area containing the 3 components. The distribution of properties, mean value and standard deviation, is determined for each component. Two locations in the composite are selected for a study of the local glass transition behavior by performing dynamic indentation experiments while simultaneous variation of the temperature of the indenter tip and sample within a micro-heating chamber.

Abstract: Fe-based alloys were deposited on 1045 steel by plasma cladding technique and the specimens were annealed at different temperatures. Instrumented indentation technique was adopted to investigate the plastic properties of the coatings, especially the stress-strain relations, critical yield stress and the strain hardening exponent. The results show that the elastic recovery in nanoindentation is less than 20% for all coatings and proves an obvious existence of plastic deformation in the coatings. It is found in the stress-strain curves that the annealing process makes the distribution of elastic modulus among the whole coating more uniformly. With the penetration depth increasing, the initial plastic deformation value gradually decreased which is more obvious for coatings annealing at high temperatures. In addition, the strain hardening exponent of the as-cladding coating and coatings annealed at 500°C keeps steady around 0.15 while the corresponding values of coatings annealed at 600°C and 700°C increased sharply with the penetration depth increasing and the maximum value is up to 0.32.

Abstract: Bulk ultrafine-grained (UFG) materials usually show superior mechanical and physical properties. The development of micro-mechanical behavior is observed after significant changes in microstructure through high-pressure torsion (HPT) processing. This report summarizes recent results on the evolution of small-scale mechanical response examined by the nanoindentation technique on two UFG materials including a high-entropy alloy and an Al-Mg metal matrix nanocomposite processed by HPT. Special emphasis is placed on demonstrating the interrelationship of essential microstructural changes with increasing torsional strain and applying a post-deformation annealing treatment and the evolution of the micro-mechanical behavior in these UFG materials by estimating the strain rate sensitivity.

Abstract: Finite element modelling (FEM) and eXtended FEM (XFEM) combined with the experimental nanoindentation and scratch tests have been used to simulate the process of cohesive cracking in W-C coating on softer and more ductile steel substrate during nanoindentation and scratch testing. The formation of single and multiple circular “frame” cohesive cracks in the sink-in zone during nanoindentation were explained by the development of high local tensile stresses in the coatings controlled by the plastic deformation of the substrate. Analogous mechanisms were successfully applied to the simulation of multiple Chevron type cracking during scratch testing. Thus, the ability of XFEM to predict the formation of different types of cohesive cracks was confirmed. It was also demonstrated that both nanoindentation and scratch tests in combination with XFEM can be used as the methods to determine the strength and fracture toughness of thin coatings.

Abstract: The local mechanical properties of Fe₇₈Al₂₂ alloy were studied using nanoindentation techniques. Sharp Berkovich indenter was used to perform load-controlled nanoindentation experiments on the studied sample. Hardness and elastic modulus maps were created on the basis of the indentation tests carried out in different grains. The focus of the work was to study the dependence of mechanical properties on the grain orientation. The results were in good agreement with quantum-mechanical calculations of anisotropic elastic properties of the studied alloy. It was explained that the maximum detected elastic modulus values are likely for grains with [111] crystallographic orientations which we theoretically identified as the hard ones.