| Abstract Scope |
Unlike traditional hardness testing, instrumented indentation tests measure force and penetration for the entire time of contact. The continuous stiffness method (CSM) measures stiffness, elastic modulus, and hardness through the penetration depth at sub nanometer resolution. Modern instrumented indentation systems allow high throughput acquisition of CSM data and therefore, large datasets. Several correlation models exist to convert nanohardness to Vickers hardness to yield stress derived from high purity metals. However, there is limited demonstration on microstructures found in commercial alloys. The objective is to extract relevant engineering properties from small volumes of commercial alloys using state-of-the-art nanomechanical testing. This work processed large datasets from instrumented indentation of 316 steel, nickel alloy 718, and Grade 91 ferritic-martensitic steel produced using advanced manufacturing methods, heat treatments, and/or irradiation to compare to uniaxial tensile stress-strain curves. By aggregating data from solution annealed, precipitate hardened, and irradiated metals, the microstructure-mechanical performance correlations were evaluated. |