Effects of Ion Irradiation on the Surface Mechanical Behavior of Hybrid Sol-gel Derived Silicate Thin Films

A study on the effects of ion irradiation on the surface mechanical behavior of hybrid sol-gel derived thin films has been performed. Hybrid organic/inorganic modified silicate thin films were synthesized by sol-gel processing from tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and methyltriethoxysilane (MTES) precursors and spin-coated onto (100) Si substrates. The synthesized films were investigated by nanoindentation, photoluminescence spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy.Hybrid TEOS/MTES sol-gel films modified by ion irradiation with deposited electronic energies of 1.87 x 10^25 eV/cm 3 or higher showed higher values of reduced elastic modulus and hardness than 800°C heat treated films. Thus, ion irradiation was found to be an effective means in converting the polymer sol into ceramic type coatings. The ions used in this study were Cu^2+ , N^2+ , Si^+ , O^+ , N^+ , He^+ , and H^+ , with incident energies ranging from 100 keV to 2 MeV, and fluences ranging from 1 x 10^14 to 1 x 10^17 ions/cm 2 .Both the reduced elastic modulus and hardness were seen to increase monotonically with the increase in ion fluence, with an observed maximum hardness of 7.7 GPa (an unirradiated film hardness was 0.4 GPa) and a maximum reduced elastic modulus of 84.0 GPa (an unirradiated film reduced elastic modulus was 7.1 GPa) for 250 keV N^2+ irradiation with a 5 x 10^16 ions/cm^2 fluence. The electronic stopping power was found to be principally responsible for the film hardening, while the role of nuclear stopping power was minimal. A monotonic increase in hardness with increase in electronic energy deposited to the film surface was found.A model describing the hardening of ion irradiated films was developed. This model characterizes the hardening effectiveness of the ion species considered by two parameters: the constant hardening cross-section and the hardening coefficient. Where the hardening cross-section represents the cross-sectional area hardened by the interaction of an incident ion with the target, and the hardening coefficient represents an index of the cross-sectional area gradient as a function of fluence.The increase in hardness of hybrid sol-gel films following ion irradiation was linked to structural changes. Ion irradiation results in a cross-linked silica film as well as the segregation of amorphous carbon clusters, both of which contributed to increase the mechanical properties of the films.Mechanical & Aerospace Engineerin

Investigation of the Surface Mechanical Properties of Single Crystal ZnO by Nanoindentation

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineerin

FAILURE MODES OF PVD COATINGS IN MOLTEN AL-ALLOY CONTACT

This paper deals with a study of the failure mode of thin PVD coatings in alternated contact with molten aluminum alloy. CrN and ZrN monolayer coatings deposited through cathodic arc evaporation were used. The coatings morphology was assessed by SEM and their mechanical properties evaluated by nanohardness test performed at room temperature. An experimental test rig which cyclically immerses coated steel samples in molten Al-alloy and in a cooling bath was applied. The thermal gradient from the coating to the steel core was exalted by internal cooling channels placed in the internal cavity of samples. Periodical SEM inspections were performed to assess the damaging levels introduced by the test and to study the related decrease of substrate protection capability. Descriptions and interpretations of the damages evolutions were derived. The main conclusions achieved are that both coatings suffered by the formation of corrosion pits, which were due to a corrosion attack of the steel substrate localized at coating defects sites. In particular, at pores locations the corrosion was fast, whereas at droplets sites it required a certain incubation time. Once corrosion pits were formed they exhibited an initial tendency to expand laterally, but they did rapidly stabilize in terms of lateral dimensions. Later on two different failure modes acted in ZrN and in CrN. Extended delamination due to a marked mismatch of mechanical properties between the coating and the steel substrate developed in ZrN. On the contrary, thermal cracking due to lower hardness levels developed in CrN, but with limited delamination. Accordingly the steel substrate protection capability was evaluated to be higher in CrN than in ZrN. Keywords: PV

Enhanced gradient crystal-plasticity study of size effects in a β-titanium alloy

A calibrated model of enhanced strain-gradient crystal plasticity is proposed, which is shown to characterize adequately deformation behaviour of b.c.c. single crystals of a β-Ti alloy (Ti-15-3-3-3). In this model, in addition to strain gradients evolving in the course of deformation, incipient strain gradients, related to a component's surface-to-volume ratio, is accounted for. Predictive capabilities of the model in characterizing a size effect in an initial yield and a work-hardening rate in small-scale components is demonstrated. The characteristic length-scale, i.e. the component's dimensions below which the size effect is observed, was found to depend on densities of polar and statistical dislocations and interaction between them

Determination of plastic properties of metals by instrumented indentation using a stochastic optimization algorithm

International audienceA novel optimization approach, capable of extracting the mechanical properties of an elasto-plastic material from indentation data, is proposed. Theoretical verification is performed on two simulated configurations. The first is based on the analysis of the load-displacement data and the topography of the residual imprint of a single conical indenter. The second is based on the load-displacement data obtained from two conical indenters with different semi-angles. In both cases, a semi-analytical approach [e.g., Dao et al., Acta Mater. 49, 3899 (2001) and Bucaille et al., Acta Mater. 51, 1663 (2003)] is used to estimate Young's modulus, yield stress, and strain hardening coefficient from the load-displacement data. An inverse finite element model, based on a commercial solver and a newly developed optimization algorithm based on a robust stochastic methodology, uses these approximate values as starting values to identify parameters with high accuracy. Both configurations use multiple data sets to extract the elastic-plastic material properties; this allows the mechanical properties of materials to be determined in a robust way

Characterization of Irradiation Damage of Ferritic ODS Alloys with Advanced Micro-Sample Methods

Oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) steels are candidate materials for advanced electric energy and heat generation plants (nuclear, fossil). Understanding the degradation of mechanical properties of these alloys as a result of service exposure is necessary for safe design. For advanced nuclear applications combinations of temperature, irradiation and stress are important damage conditions. They are studied either with neutron irradiated samples (often highly active) or with ion-irradiated samples (irradiation damage often limited to only a few micrometer deep areas). High activity of samples and limited sample volume claim to subsized samples like nano-indentation, micro-pillar compression or thin strip creep testing. Irradiation hardening and irradiation creep were studied with these methods. Ferritic ODS steels with 19% chromium were investigated. The materials were studied in qualities differing in grain sizes and in sizes of the dispersoids. Irradiation was performed in an accelerator using He-ions. Irradiation damage profiles could be well analyzed with indentation. Yield stress determined with compression tests of single-crystal micropillars was well comparable with tension tests performed along the same crystallographic orientation. Irradiation creep of samples with different sizes of dispersoids revealed only a small influence of particle size being is in contrast with thermal creep but consistent with expectations from other investigations

In situ SEM indentation experiments: Instruments, methodology, and applications

The purpose of this article is to present the design and capabilities of two in situ scanning electron microscope (SEM) indentation instruments covering a large load range from μN to N. The capabilities and advantages of in situ SEM indentation are illustrated by two applications: indentation of a thin film and a nanowire. All the experiments were performed on electrodeposited cobalt, whose outstanding magnetic properties make it a candidate material for MEMS and NEMS device

Ion irradiation enhances the mechanical performance of metallic glasses

We demonstrate that irradiation may enhance the plasticity in metallic glasses by increasing the free-volume content via micropillar compression experiments on an ion-irradiated bulk metallic glass (BMG). Results show that irradiation decreases the flow stress and enhances the shear band formation by lowering the magnitude of stress serrations in plastic flow regime. These results highlight that amorphous alloys can mitigate the deleterious affects of severe ion irradiation as compared to their crystalline counterparts

The scattering of sound waves in two-dimensional ducts with discontinuities in height and material property

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