How does nanoindentation work?

During the nanoindentation process, a calibrated indenter tip approaches the surface of the sample. The force-displacement data is used to determine the point of contact. After the sample is contacted, the force is linearly increased and the tip indents into the surface of the sample.

What is Nano Hardness?

Hardness Testing Nanohardness testing refers to hardness tests wherein the depth of indentation usually is less than about 50 nm or equivalently, the indentation diameter/length is lower than about 150 nm. To obtain such low indentation depths, applied loads on the indenter are usually in the range 0.1–100 mN.

What is thermal drift nanoindentation?

Nanoindentation is widely used for characterizing mechanical properties of materials at small length scales. Thermal drift effects during indentation are well-known, and are typically corrected using a linear relationship between displacement and time.

What is reduced modulus in nanoindentation?

(1) E r = π 2 · S A p where Ap is the projected area of contact and S is the slope of the unload at the maximum displacement point (hmax). The reduced modulus Er is a combination of the sample material and indenter elastic deformations.

What is nanoindentation testing?

Nanoindentation, also called instrumented indentation testing, is a variety of indentation hardness tests applied to small volumes. Indentation is perhaps the most commonly applied means of testing the mechanical properties of materials.

How does nanoindentation measure hardness?

The load applied to the tip and the depth of penetration is subsequently measured during the process. The indentation depth is used to calculate the area of the tip that was in contact during the indentation. This area is used to measure the hardness of the material.

How is nanoindentation hardness calculated?

The commonly used equations in nanoindentation for calculation of hardness and modulus are as follows:(1) H = P A c (2) ⁎ 1 − υ 2 E = 1 E c ⁎ − 1 − ν i 2 E i (3) ⁎ E c ⁎ = S 2 π A c H being the hardness and E the Young modulus of the material.

What can the nanoindentation device used to measure?

Nanoindentation is the latest technology that enables researchers to measure mechanical properties such as modulus and hardness of materials in different shapes, sizes and scales.

Why do we use nanoindentation?

Nanoindentation is used in universities and industries to characterize thin films in electronics and packaging products, advances alloys for cutting tools, coatings for thermal barriers, viscoelastic properties of polymers, microhardness in industrial quality and control, scratch and wear resistance and many more.