| Abstract Scope |
Since its development in the mid-1980's, nanoindentation has proven to be an important tool for exploring the small-scale mechanical behavior and strength of a wide variety of materials. For example, nanoindentation has been used to measure the ultimate strength of perfect crystals of metals and alloys devoid of strength degrading defects, in understanding size effects on strength, and in high resolution mapping of hardness and elastic modulus. However, although originally aimed at the development of new and improved engineering materials, over the years the utility of nanoindentation has been expanded to a diverse set of scientific disciplines such as biology, geology, archaeology, paleontology, medicine, food science, and art preservation. After a brief historical introduction, a series of examples is used to illustrate some of the unusual mechanical behaviors observed at small scales as well as some of the not-so-obvious disciplines that have adopted nanoindentation as an important scientific tool. |