Nano/Micro-Hardness Tester CSM

Description:

With the conventional indentation methods, the hardness of the indented material is determined by post facto observation of the indented area. The in depth sensing nanoindentation technique uses the already established method where an indenter tip with a known geometry is driven into a specific site of the material to be tested, by applying an increasing normal load. When reaching a preset value, the normal load is reduced until partial or complete relaxation occurs.

nano micro hardness tester


For each loading/unloading cycle, the applied load value and indenter displacement are recorded in situ to obtain the indentation hysteresis curves. The resulting load/displacement curves provide data specific to the mechanical nature of the material under examination. Established models are used to calculate quantitative hardness, the elastic (Young’s modulus) and time dependent plastic properties. The hardness testers are especially suited to penetration depth measurements at the nanometer to micrometer length scales. For thin surface coatings this is particularly important to minimise the influence of the underlying substrate. The system is equiped with a microscope and separate AFM-objective for 2D- and respectively 3D-imaging.

Technical details:
Nano Hardness Tester

  • Measurement Principle:
    the indenter displacement is measured differentially to the sapphire reference ring, which has the advantage of negligible thermal drift errors

  • Head Specification:
    - Maximum head approach range: 2mm
    - Frame compliance (incl indenter): ~0.2 µm/N
    - Spring compliance: ~1000 µm/N

  • Electromechanical data:
    - Displ. measurement: differential capactitive sensor
    - Displ. Resolution (+-µm scale): +-0.04mm
    - Maximum indenter range: 200 µm

    - Load application: voice coil actuation
    - Load range: 0.5 - 500 mN
    - Load resolution: 1 µN
    - Load rate: up to 5 N/min

  • XY-stage:
    - 120 x 20 mm
    - 0.25 µm resolution

  • Video Microscope Magnification:
    50x, 200x, 1000x

  • Video Microscope Camera:
    Color 768 x 582

  • AFM Objective:
    Scan range max. xy = 40 µm; z = 4 µm

  • Software:
    CSM Indentation 3.71 software for Windows XP

Micro Hardness Tester

  • Measurement Principe:
    the indenter displacement is measured differentially
    to the reference fork, which has the advantage of negligible
    thermal drift errors

  • Head Specification:
    - Maximum head approach range: 1mm

  • Electromechanical data:
    - Displ. measurement: LVDT sensor
    - Displ. resolution : 0.3 nm
    - Maximum indenter range: 200 µm

    - Load application: voice coil actuation
    - Load range: 0.03 - 30 N
    - Load resolution: 0.3 mN
    - Load rate: up to 300 N/min

  • XY-stage:
    - 120 x 20 mm
    - 0.25 µm

  • Video Microscope Magnification:
    50x, 200x, 1000x

  • Software:
    CSM Indentation 3.71 software for Windows XP










Responsible persons:
     scientific: Jean-Pierre Celis (-32-16-321312)
     technical: Marc Peeters (-32-16-321215)

Room: 01.01

 
More Technical information: Techinfo@mtm.kuleuven.be
 

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27-05-2010