An explanation for the shape of nanoindentation unloading curves based on finite element simulation

Current methods for measuring hardness and modulus from nanoindentation load-displacement data are based on Sneddon`s equations for the indentation of an elastic half-space by an axially symmetric rigid punch. Recent experiments have shown that nanoindentation unloading data are distinctly curved in a manner which is not consistent with either the flat punch or the conical indenter geometries frequently used in modeling, but are more closely approximated by a parabola of revolution. Finite element simulations for conical indentation of an elastic-plastic material are presented which corroborate the experimental observations, and from which a simple explanation for the shape of the unloading curve is derived. The explanation is based on the concept of an effective indenter shape whose geometry is determined by the shape of the plastic hardness impression formed during indentation

Nanoindentation of Soft Films on Hard Substrates:The Importance of Pile-Up

Nanoindentation is used for measuring mechanical properties of thin films. This paper addresses potential measurement errors caused by pile-up when soft films deposited on hard substrates are tested this way. Pile-up is exacerbated in soft film/hard substrate systems because of the constraint the substrate exerts on plastic deformation of the film. To examine pile-up effects, Al films 240 and 1700 nm thick were deposited on hard glass and tested by standard nanoindentation. In Al/glass, the film and substrate have similar elastic moduli; thus, any unusual behavior in nanoindentation results may be attributed to differences in plastic flow alone. SEM examination of nanoindentation hardness impressions in the film revealed that common methods for analyzing nanoindentation data underestimate the true contact areas by as much as 80%, which results in overestimations of the hardness and modulus by as much as 80 and 35%, respectively. Sources of these errors and their effect on measurement of hardness and elastic modulus are discussed, and a simple model for the composite hardness of the film/substrate system is developed. This model could prove useful when it is not possible to make indentations shallow enough to avoid substrate effects

Cracking During Nanoindentation and its Use in the Measurement of Fracture Toughness

Results of an investigation aimed at developing a technique by which the fracture toughness of a thin film or small volume can be determined in nanoindentation experiments are reported. The method is based on the radial cracking which occurs when brittle materials are deformed by a sharp indenter such as a Vickers or Berkovich diamond. In microindentation experiments, the lengths of radial cracks have been found to correlate reasonably well with fracture toughness, and a simple semi-empirical method has been developed to compute the toughness from the crack lengths. However, a problem is encountered in extending this method into the nanoindentation regime with the standard Berkovich indenter in that there are well defined loads, called cracking thresholds, below which indentation cracking does not occur in most brittle materials. We have recently found that the problems imposed by the cracking threshold can be largely overcome by using an indenter with the geometry of the comer of a cube. For the cube-corner indenter, cracking thresholds in most brittle materials are as small as 1 mN ({approximately}0.1 grams). In addition, the simple, well-developed relation between toughness and crack length used for the Vickers indenter in the microindentation regime can be used for the cube-corner indenter in the nanoindentation regime provided a different empirical constant is used

Cracking during nanoindentation and its use in the measurement of fracture toughness

Results of an investigation aimed at developing a technique by which the fracture toughness of a thin film or small volume can be determined in nanoindentation experiments are reported. The method is based on the radial cracking which occurs when brittle materials are deformed by a sharp indenter such as a Vickers or Berkovich diamond. In microindentation experiments, the lengths of radial cracks have been found to correlate reasonably well with fracture toughness, and a simple semi-empirical method has been developed to compute the toughness from the crack lengths. However, a problem is encountered in extending this method into the nanoindentation regime with the standard Berkovich indenter in that there are well defined loads, called cracking thresholds, below which indentation cracking does not occur in most brittle materials. We have recently found that the problems imposed by the cracking threshold can be largely overcome by using an indenter with the geometry of the comer of a cube. For the cube-corner indenter, cracking thresholds in most brittle materials are as small as 1 mN ({approximately}0.1 grams). In addition, the simple, well-developed relation between toughness and crack length used for the Vickers indenter in the microindentation regime can be used for the cube-corner indenter in the nanoindentation regime provided a different empirical constant is used

Rapid Quantification of Dynamic and Spall Strength of Metals Across Strain Rates

The response of metals and their microstructures under extreme dynamic conditions can be markedly different from that under quasistatic conditions. Traditionally, high strain rates and shock stresses are measured using cumbersome and expensive methods such as the Kolsky bar or large spall experiments. These methods are low throughput and do not facilitate high-fidelity microstructure-property linkages. In this work, we combine two powerful small-scale testing methods, custom nanoindentation, and laser-driven micro-flyer shock, to measure the dynamic and spall strength of metals. The nanoindentation system is configured to test samples from quasistatic to dynamic strain rate regimes (10$^{-3}$ s$^{-1}$ to 10$^{+4}$ s$^{-1}$). The laser-driven micro-flyer shock system can test samples through impact loading between 10$^{+5}$ s$^{-1}$ to 10$^{+7}$ s$^{-1}$ strain rates, triggering spall failure. The model material used for testing is Magnesium alloys, which are lightweight, possess high-specific strengths and have historically been challenging to design and strengthen due to their mechanical anisotropy. Here, we modulate their microstructure by adding or removing precipitates to demonstrate interesting upticks in strain rate sensitivity and evolution of dynamic strength. At high shock loading rates, we unravel an interesting paradigm where the spall strength of these materials converges, but the failure mechanisms are markedly different. Peak aging, considered to be a standard method to strengthen metallic alloys, causes catastrophic failure, faring much worse than solutionized alloys. Our high throughput testing framework not only quantifies strength but also teases out unexplored failure mechanisms at extreme strain rates, providing valuable insights for the rapid design and improvement of metals for extreme environments

Clubbing masculinities: Gender shifts in gay men's dance floor choreographies

This is an Author's Accepted Manuscript of an article published in Journal of Homosexuality, 58(5), 608-625, 2011 [copyright Taylor & Francis], available online at: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/00918369.2011.563660This article adopts an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the intersections of gender, sexuality, and dance. It examines the expressions of sexuality among gay males through culturally popular forms of club dancing. Drawing on political and musical history, I outline an account of how gay men's gendered choreographies changed throughout the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. Through a notion of “technologies of the body,” I situate these developments in relation to cultural levels of homophobia, exploring how masculine expressions are entangled with and regulated by musical structures. My driving hypothesis is that as perceptions of cultural homophobia decrease, popular choreographies of gay men's dance have become more feminine in expression. Exploring this idea in the context of the first decade of the new millennium, I present a case study of TigerHeat, one of the largest weekly gay dance club events in the United States

Characterization of Films with Thickness Less than 10 nm by Sensitivity-Enhanced Atomic Force Acoustic Microscopy

We present a method for characterizing ultrathin films using sensitivity-enhanced atomic force acoustic microscopy, where a concentrated-mass cantilever having a flat tip was used as a sensitive oscillator. Evaluation was aimed at 6-nm-thick and 10-nm-thick diamond-like carbon (DLC) films deposited, using different methods, on a hard disk for the effective Young's modulus defined as E/(1 - ν2), where E is the Young's modulus, and ν is the Poisson's ratio. The resonant frequency of the cantilever was affected not only by the film's elasticity but also by the substrate even at an indentation depth of about 0.6 nm. The substrate effect was removed by employing a theoretical formula on the indentation of a layered half-space, together with a hard disk without DLC coating. The moduli of the 6-nm-thick and 10-nm-thick DLC films were 392 and 345 GPa, respectively. The error analysis showed the standard deviation less than 5% in the moduli

Photochemistry of Furyl- and Thienyldiazomethanes: Spectroscopic Characterization of Triplet 3-Thienylcarbene

Photolysis (λ \u3e 543 nm) of 3-thienyldiazomethane (1), matrix isolated in Ar or N2 at 10 K, yields triplet 3-thienylcarbene (13) and α-thial-methylenecyclopropene (9). Carbene 13 was characterized by IR, UV/vis, and EPR spectroscopy. The conformational isomers of 3-thienylcarbene (s-E and s-Z) exhibit an unusually large difference in zero-field splitting parameters in the triplet EPR spectrum (|D/hc| = 0.508 cm–1, |E/hc| = 0.0554 cm–1; |D/hc| = 0.579 cm–1, |E/hc| = 0.0315 cm–1). Natural Bond Orbital (NBO) calculations reveal substantially differing spin densities in the 3-thienyl ring at the positions adjacent to the carbene center, which is one factor contributing to the large difference in D values. NBO calculations also reveal a stabilizing interaction between the sp orbital of the carbene carbon in the s-Z rotamer of 13 and the antibonding σ orbital between sulfur and the neighboring carbon—an interaction that is not observed in the s-E rotamer of 13. In contrast to the EPR spectra, the electronic absorption spectra of the rotamers of triplet 3-thienylcarbene (13) are indistinguishable under our experimental conditions. The carbene exhibits a weak electronic absorption in the visible spectrum (λmax = 467 nm) that is characteristic of triplet arylcarbenes. Although studies of 2-thienyldiazomethane (2), 3-furyldiazomethane (3), or 2-furyldiazomethane (4) provided further insight into the photochemical interconversions among C5H4S or C5H4O isomers, these studies did not lead to the spectroscopic detection of the corresponding triplet carbenes (2-thienylcarbene (11), 3-furylcarbene (23), or 2-furylcarbene (22), respectively)