Nanoindentation mapping of mechanical properties of cement paste and natural rocks

This paper reports a study to assess nanoindentation mapping of mechanical properties of cement paste and natural rocks. Initial work seems to show that mechanical property mapping by nanoindentation is feasible and can be related to microscopic information. Further work is however required on the effect of indent size and spacing. Such a testing technique can be very useful for materials with different phases to study the intrinsic properties of each component, and also the interaction and properties of the interfacial regions of different phases. The values of Young's modulus and hardness of the individual mineral phases were also determined by statistically analysing a large number of experimental data.     

Nanomechanical analyses of porous SiO2 low-dielectric-constant films for evaluation of interconnect structure reliability

Porous SiO₂ low-dielectric-constant films containing different porosities and sizes of uniformly distributed pores were prepared in this study. Their nanomechanical properties including true flow stress and fracture toughness were analyzed by a nanoindentation test. The hardness and elastic modulus of the films prepared with an ethanol molar ratio of 3 and an aging time of 16 h reached maximum values of 2.4 and 40 GPa, respectively. With increasing ethanol molar ratio, the porosity increased, and the mechanical properties consequently decreased. With increasing aging time, the mechanical properties increased and then dropped due to enlarged pore sizes. From converted true flow stress, the porous SiO₂ films were found to yield at an ultimate stress of 3.1 GPa, and the maximum fracture energy release rate was calculated as 3.4 J/m². The plastic deformation and fracture behavior of the porous films was observed through crack initiation and propagation along the large amount of pores.     

A CALPHAD-type Young's modulus database of Ti-rich Ti–Nb–Zr–Mo system

Accurate Young's modulus is the necessity for the design of biomedical Ti alloys. A combinatorial method of the diffusion couple, nanoindentation, electron probe microanalysis (EPMA), and CALculation of PHAse Diagrams (CALPHAD) techniques has been utilized to construct the Young's modulus database of Ti alloys with various compositions in the present work. Two groups of body-centered cubic (bcc) Ti–Nb–Zr–Mo quaternary diffusion couples annealed at 1273 K for 25 h were experimentally prepared. Subsequently, the composition-dependent mechanical properties in the wide compositional range of Ti-based alloys were obtained by using EPMA and nanoindentation probes. Finally, on the basis of the measured Young's moduli in the present and previous work and the modeling parameters of Young's modulus of Ti–Nb–Zr system, the Young's modulus database of bcc Ti–Nb–Zr–Mo system was established through the CALPHAD approach. The CALPHAD-type database of bcc Ti–Nb–Zr–Mo system can provide the accurate Young's moduli of Ti alloys with wide compositions.     

A study of global vs. local properties for maleic anhydride modified polypropylene nanocomposites

Nanoindentation of organomodified clay filled maleated polypropylene (MAPP) was investigated. The study aims to identify the relative increase in local stiffness in comparison to the increase in mechanical properties of the bulk in polypropylene-based nanocomposites. Such a study allows one to assess confined material property in addition to increased filler volume at the local scale. A mixture of highly intercalated and well exfoliated clay structures, when dispersed in MAPP matrix, was observed under transmission electron microscopy. The degree of exfoliation was found to increase with clay loading, which was attributed to the higher viscosity and mechanical shear forces during melt compounding. Instrumented indentation was performed on (1) clay aggregate supported by MAPP matrix, (2) clay-matrix boundary, and (3) the MAPP matrix. The clay aggregated region generally showed higher stiffness as compared to the matrix. And, the relative increase in indentation stiffness is substantially higher than the relative increase in tensile and compressive stiffnesses for clay reinforced systems. Polymer chain confinement and topological constraint appeared to be operative to enhance local stiffness in the clay aggregated region. Good correlation was, however, obtained between the change in macroscopic stiffness and the change in highly local indentation stiffness as a result of clay reinforcement.     

The effect of two types of C-S-H on the elasticity of cement-based materials: Results from nanoindentation and micromechanical modeling

It has long been recognized, in cement chemistry, that two types of calcium-silicate-hydrate (C-S-H) exist in cement-based materials, but less is known about how the two types of C-S-H affect the mechanical properties. By means of nanoindentation tests on nondegraded and calcium leached cement paste, the paper confirms the existence of two types of C-S-H, and investigates the distinct role played by the two phases on the elastic properties of cement-based materials. It is found that (1) high-density C-S-H are mechanically less affected by calcium leaching than low density C-S-H, and (2) the volume fractions occupied by the two phases in the C-S-H matrix are not affected by calcium leaching. The nanoindentation results also provide quantitative evidence, suggesting that the elastic properties of the C-S-H phase are intrinsic material properties that do not depend on mix proportions of cement-based materials. The material properties and volume fractions are used in a novel two-step homogenization model, that predicts the macroscopic elastic properties of cement pastes with high accuracy. Combined with advanced physical chemistry models that allow, for a given w/c ratio, determination of the volume fractions of the two types of C-S-H, the model can be applied to any cement paste, with or without Portlandite, Clinker, and so on. In particular, from an application of the model to decalcified cement pastes, it is shown that that the decalcification of the C-S-H phase is the primary source of the macroscopic elastic modulus degradation, that dominates over the effect of the dissolution of Portlandite in cement-based material systems.     

Nanoindentation and nanomachining characteristics of gold and platinum thin films

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and an experimental method were carried out to study the effects of applied load, hold time, and temperature on nanoscratching and nanoindentation of gold and platinum thin films. The simulated results showed that the wear depth of gold decreased as the scratching velocity was increased and the temperature was decreased. The results also indicated that when the simulated nanoindentation of gold film hold time was increased, the plastic indentation depth and the plastic energy both increased. In addition, the experimental results showed that the groove depth for gold films was larger than that of platinum films under the same machining load. The wear depth and the surface roughness of platinum films were larger than those of gold films under the same lateral machining feed. Furthermore, the simulated plastic energy of gold films was compared during nanoindentation test.     

再生微粉对超高性能混凝土力学性能和微观结构的影响

研究了两种类型的再生微粉(混凝土粉和砖粉)取代部分硅灰对超高性能混凝土(Ultra-high Performance Concrete,UHPC)力学性能和微观结构的影响.结果表明:混凝土粉的掺入降低了UHPC的力学性能,而砖粉取代15％硅灰时,UHPC的28 d抗压强度和抗折强度分别达到了130 MPa和24 MPa...     

基于原子力显微镜和分子动力学的纳米压痕技术研究

利用原子力显微镜对真空蒸发镀膜技术制得的单晶铜薄膜试件进行了纳米压痕试验。通过进行各种压痕深度下的试验,获得了压痕深度对试件力学性能的影响关系。试验得到的试件弹性模量为67.0 GPa±6.9 GPa。试件的硬度值随着压痕深度的减小而不断增大,表现出强烈的尺寸效应。在原子力显微镜试验的同时,使用分子动力学仿真方法对单晶铜薄膜的纳米压痕过程进行了研究。仿真结果表明单晶铜薄膜的纳米压痕的力学机理不是位错在晶体中运动产生的塑性变形,而是非晶态产生的变形,从而解释了尺寸效应产生的原因。     

钨单晶纳米压痕尺寸效应研究

利用纳米压痕仪和扫描探针显微镜对高纯钨单晶的载荷-位移曲线、弹性模量、压痕形貌、纳米硬度-加载深度以及弹性回复率的变化情况进行了研究。结果表明,W(111)晶面在加载和卸载过程中分别经历了弹性变形和塑性变形阶段,荷载-位移曲线未出现不连续现象,表明在加载过程中压痕内部未产生裂纹或脆性断裂;钨单晶的残余压痕表现出堆积形貌,表明钨单晶有较低的加工应变硬化趋势;采用连续刚度法测量了钨单晶的纳米压痕硬度以及弹性模量,结果表明,钨单晶纳米压痕硬度和弹性模量存在尺寸效应,即随着加载深度的增加,单晶的纳米压痕硬度和弹性模量减小;采用 Nix-Gao 模型对钨单晶的纳米压痕力学特征和进行了分析,计算了钨单晶的微观特征长度（h^*）为1490nm,无压痕尺寸效应时的纳米硬度值（H_0）为6.79GPa,尺寸效应因子（m）为0.18,即压入深度小于1490nm时,钨单晶具有明显的尺寸效应,当压入深度超过1490nm时,尺寸效应将减弱。当压入深度超过2450nm时,钨单晶的纳米尺寸效应将消失。     

Al-20Sm金属间化合物微观组织和力学性能研究

Al-Sm合金作为一种新型中子吸收材料,具有低成本、高塑性和高中子吸收率等优点,加工成箔材后可用于中子准直器、费米斩波器等中子关键器件。通过蒙特卡洛模拟(MCNP)对Al-Sm合金的中子透射率进行模拟计算,结果表明,当Sm含量增加到20%(质量分数,下同)以上时,材料在1～6 mm范围内的中子透射率均低于20%,Al-20Sm合金满足中子吸收率的同时具有一定的塑性。通过真空感应熔炼制备Al-20Sm合金,并采用XRD、EDS和SEM对该合金的微观结构和热处理前后的相转变展开研究。结果表明,铸态组织为α-Al和β-Al₄Sm,经过550℃/2h热处理后,发生同素异构转变,合金内的β-Al₄Sm全部转变为γ-Al₄Sm,550℃热处理300h以后,部分γ-Al₄Sm发生熔晶转变,形成Al₃Sm。采用纳米压痕技术测试Al-Sm中间化合物的微观力学性能,其中β-Al₄Sm、γ-Al₄Sm和Al₃Sm硬度分别为8.97、8...