Nanoindenter

A nanoindenter is the main component for indentation hardness tests used in nanoindentation. Since the mid 1970’s nanoindentation has become the primary method for measuring and testing very small volumes of mechanical properties. Nanoindentation, also called depth sensing indentation or instrumented indentation, gained popularity with the development of machines that could record small load and displacement with high accuracy and precision. The load displacement data can be used to determine modulus of elasticity, hardness, yield strength, fracture toughness, scratch hardness and wear properties. Types: a round end cone indenter, a filament rod indenter, a standard Berkovich indenter. There are many types of nanoindenters in current use differing mainly on their tip geometry. Among the numerous available geometries are three and four sided pyramids, wedges, cones, cylinders, filaments, and spheres. Several geometries have become a well established common standard due to their extended use and well known properties; such as Berkovich, cube corner, Vickers, and Knoop nanoindenters. The tip end of the indenter can be made sharp, flat, or rounded to a cylindrical or spherical shape. The material for most nanoindenters is diamond and sapphire, although other hard materials can be used such as quartz, silicon, tungsten, steel, tungsten carbide and almost any other hard metal or ceramic material. Diamond is the most commonly used material for nanoindentation due to its properties of hardness, thermal conductivity, and chemical inertness. In some cases electrically conductive diamond may be needed for special applications and is also available. Nanoindenters are mounted on holders which could be the standard design from a manufacturer of nanoindenting equipment, or custom design. The holder material can be steel, titanium, machinable ceramic, other metals or rigid materials. In most cases the indenter is attached to the holder using a rigid metal bonding process. The metal forms a molecular bond with both material be it diamond-steel, diamond-ceramic, etc. Nanoindenter faces are highly polished and reflective which is the basis for the laser goniometer measurements. The laser goniometer can measure within a thousandth of a degree to specified or requested angles.

A nanoindenter

Further information:

1. W.C. Oliver and G.M. Pharr. Measurement of hardness and elastic modulus by instrumented indentation: Advances in understanding and refinements to methodology. J. Mater. Res. 19 (2004), 3.
2. Fischer-Cripps, A.C. Nanoindentation. (Springer: New York), 2004.
3. Y.-T. Cheng, C.-M. Cheng, Scaling, dimensional analysis, and indentation measurements, Mater. Sci. Eng. R, 44 (2004), 91.
4. J. Malzbender, J.M.J. den Toonder, A.R. Balkenende, G. de With, A Methodology to Determine the Mechanical Properties of Thin Films, with Application to Nano-Particle Filled Methyltrimethoxysilane Sol-Gel Coatings,Mater. Sci. Eng. Reports 36 (2002).
5. Игнатович С.Р. и др. Определение микромеханических характеристик поверхности материалов с использованием наноиндентометра "Микрон-гамма" // Вестник Харьковского национальногоавтомобильно-дорожного университета - 42, 2008 - C. 86 – 90.
6. Физические основы прочности и пластичности / Миркин Л.И. М., Изд. МГУ, 1969.
7. Статья Nanoindenter из Wikipedia, свободной энциклопедии. Доступно под лицензией Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike.

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