Low-load nanoindentation can be used to assess not only the plastic yield point, but the distribution of yield points in a material. This paper reviews measurements of the so-called nanoscale strength distribution (NSD) on two classes of materials: crystals and metallic glasses. In each case, the yield point has a significant spread (10–50% of the mean normalized stress), but the origins of the distribution are shown to be very different in the two materials classes. In crystalline materials the NSD can arise from thermal fluctuations and is attended by significant rate and temperature dependence. In metallic glasses well below their glass-transition temperature, the NSD is reflective of fluctuations in the sampled structure and is not very sensitive to rate or temperature. Computer simulations using shear transformation zone dynamics are used to separate the effects of thermal and structural fluctuations in metallic glasses, and support the latter as dominating the NSD of those materials at low temperatures. Finally, the role of the NSD as a window on structural changes due to annealing or prior deformation is discussed as a direction for future research on metallic glasses in particular.

Quasi-static and dynamic deformation behaviors of Zr-based bulk-metallic-glass-matrix composites, fabricated by Bridgman solidification, were investigated in this study. Upon quasi-static compressive loading, the composites exhibit ultrahigh strength, accompanied by considerable plasticity. The multiplication of shear bands on the lateral surface of deformed samples, and the highly-dense liquid drops on the fracture surface, are in agreement with the improved plasticity. However, upon dynamic loading, the mechanical properties of the composites deteriorate considerably, due to insufficient time to form profuse shear bands. The strain-rate responses of the mechanical properties of the crystalline alloys and the in situ and ex situ bulk metallic glass composites are compared, and the different deformation mechanisms of the in situ composites upon quasi-static and dynamic loading are explained.

The structural evolution of the Ti40Zr10Cu34Pd14Sn2 bulk metallic glass (BMG) upon was investigated by means of in situ high-energy x-ray diffraction. The position, width, and intensity of the first peak in diffraction patterns are fitted through Voigt function below 800 K. All the peak position, width, and intensity values show a nearly linear increase with the increasing temperature to the onset temperature of structural relaxation, Tr = 510 K. However, these values start to deviate from the linear behavior between Tr and Tg (the glass transition temperature). The changes in free volume and the coefficient of volume thermal expansion prove that the aforementioned phenomenon is closely related to the structural relaxation releasing excess free volume arrested during rapid quenching of the BMG. Above 800 K, three crystallization events are detected and the first exothermic event is due to the formation of metastable nanocrystals.

The interfacial reactions in Sn-0.7wt%Cu/ENIG SUS304 couples at 240, 255, and 270 °C are examined in this study. The Ni-containing ternary Cu6Sn5 phase is formed at the Ni/liquid interface in the early reaction stage then it detaches massively from the SUS304 substrate and splits into two layers in the molten solder as the reaction time increases. This phase finally disintegrates and disappears. The square pillar-shaped FeSn2 phase is found on top of the SUS304 substrate when the Cu6Sn5 layer detaches. The reaction phase formation, detachment, and split mechanisms are proposed. The spalling phenomenon is reviewed and discussed. The growth mechanism of the FeSn2 phase obeys the parabolic law, and the activation energy is determined to be 112.5 KJ/mol.

The fabrication and properties of fiber metallic glass laminates (FMGL) composite composed of Al-based metallic glasses ribbons and fiber/epoxy layers were reported. The metallic glass composite possesses structural features of low density and high specific strength compared to Al-based metallic glass and crystalline Al alloys. The material shows pronounced tensile ductility compared to monolithic bulk metallic glasses.

Punched-out dislocations emitted from an octahedral oxide precipitate in single-crystal silicon were investigated using high-voltage electron microscopy and tomography (HVEM-tomography) to understand the mechanism of softening caused by the oxide precipitates. In the present paper, direct evidence of the transition of a punched-out prismatic dislocation loop to a slip dislocation is presented. The punched-out dislocation grows into a large matrix dislocation loop by absorption of interstitial atoms, which were produced during oxide precipitation.

The engineering stress–strain curve is one of the most convenient characterizations of the constitutive behavior of materials that can be obtained directly from uniaxial experiments. We propose that the engineering stress–strain curve may also be directly converted from the load–depth curve of a deep spherical indentation test via new phenomenological formulations of the effective indentation strain and stress. From extensive forward analyses, explicit relationships are established between the indentation constraint factors and material elastoplastic parameters, and verified numerically by a large set of engineering materials as well as experimentally by parallel laboratory tests and data available in the literature. An iterative reverse analysis procedure is proposed such that the uniaxial engineering stress–strain curve of an unknown material (assuming that its elastic modulus is obtained in advance via a separate shallow spherical indentation test or other established methods) can be deduced phenomenologically and approximately from the load–displacement curve of a deep spherical indentation test.

Nanoindentation methods are well suited for probing the mechanical properties of a heterogeneous surface, since the probe size and contact volumes are small and localized. However, the nanoindentation method may introduce errors in the computed mechanical properties when indenting near the interface between two materials having significantly different mechanical properties. Here we examine the case where a soft material is loaded in close proximity to an interface of higher modulus, such as the case when indenting bone near a metallic implant. The results are derived from both an approximate analytical quarter space solution and a finite element model, and used to estimate the error in indentation-determined elastic modulus as a function of the distance from the apex of contact to the dissimilar interface, for both Berkovich and spherical indenter geometries. Sample data reveal the potential errors in mechanical property determination that can occur when indenting near an interface having higher stiffness, or when characterizing strongly heterogeneous materials. The results suggest that caution should be used when interpreting results in the near-interfacial region.

The formation enthalpy, electronic structures, and elastic moduli of the intermetallic compound Ti5Si3 with substitutions Zr, V, Nb, and Cr are investigated by using first-principles methods based on the density-functional theory. Our calculation shows that the site occupancy behaviors of alloying elements in Ti5Si3, determined by their atom radius, are consistent with the available experimental observations. Furthermore, using the Voigt–Reuss–Hill (VRH) approximation method, we obtained the bulk modulus B, shear modulus G, and the Young’s modulus E. Among these four substitutions, the V, Nb, and Cr substitutions can improve the ductility of Ti5Si3 effectively, while Zr substitution has little effect on the elastic properties of Ti5Si3. The elastic property variations of Ti5Si3 due to different substitutions are found to be correlated with the Me4d–Me4d antibonding and the strengthened Me4d–Si bonding in the solids.

CrAlSiN/W2N nanolayered coatings were prepared by direct current magnetron sputtering. The modulation periods of multilayer coatings were controlled in the range from 3 to 20 nm. From the low angle x-ray diffraction and high angle x-ray diffraction (XRD) satellite peaks, the superlattice structure of these coatings was evidenced. The modulation periods of multilayer coatings were obtained precisely by the low angle XRD and high angle XRD satellite peaks methods. The detailed layered structure was further investigated by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Because of the dense and smooth nanolayered microstructure, the CrAlSiN/W2N multilayer films exhibited excellent microhardness. With an appropriate modulation period of 8 nm, the hardness reached a maximum around 40 GPa. The hardness enhancement is attributed to the large lattice mismatch and strengthening of superlattice structure, which is confirmed by XRD and transmission electron microscopy.

High-pressure in situ angular dispersive x-ray diffraction study on the wurtzite-type InN nanowires has been carried out by means of the image-plate technique and diamond-anvil cell (DAC) up to about 31.8 GPa. The pressure-induced structural transition from the wurtzite to a rocksalt-type phase occurs at about 14.6 GPa, which is slightly higher than the transition pressure of InN bulk materials (∼12.1 GPa). The relative volume reduction at the transition point is close to 17.88%, and the bulk modulus B0 is determined through fitting the relative volume-pressure experimental data related to the wurtzite and rocksalt phases to the Birch–Murnaghan equation of states. Moreover, high-pressure Raman scattering for InN nanowires were also investigated in DAC at room temperature. The corresponding structural transition was confirmed by assignment of phonon modes. We calculated the mode Grüneisen parameters for the wurtzite and rocksalt phases of InN nanowires.

The model of nanosized diamond particles formation at metastable P-T parameters from a C-H-O fluid system is presented. It explains the hydrothermal formation and growth of diamond and the specifics of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) diamond synthesis gas mixtures at low P-T parameters. Further, the model explains the genesis of interstellar nanodiamond formations in space and the genesis of metamorphic microdiamonds in shallow depth Earth rocks. In contrast to models where many possible reactions are considered, the present model makes the simplest possible assumptions about the key processes, and is then able to account for various tendencies seen in experimental data.

Irradiation-induced amorphization in nanocrystalline and single-crystal 3C-SiC has been studied using 1 MeV Si+ ions under identical irradiation conditions at room temperature and 400 K. The disordering behavior has been characterized using in situ ion channeling and ex situ x-ray diffraction methods. The results show that, compared with single-crystal 3C-SiC, full amorphization of small 3C-SiC grains (˜3.8 nm in size) at room temperature occurs at a slightly lower dose. Grain size decreases with increasing dose until a fully amorphized state is attained. The amorphization dose increases at 400 K relative to room temperature. However, at 400 K, the amorphization dose for 2.0 nm grains is about a factor of 4 and 8 smaller than for 3.0 nm grains and bulk single-crystal 3C-SiC, respectively. The behavior is attributed to the preferential amorphization at the interface.

Previous computer simulations of multiple 10 keV Si cascades in 3C–SiC demonstrated that many damage-state properties exhibit relatively smooth, but noticeably different, dose dependencies. A more recent analysis of these damage-state properties, which includes additional data at low and intermediate doses, reveals more complex relationships between system energy, swelling, energy per defect, relative disorder, elastic modulus, and elastic constant, C11. These relationships provide evidence for the onset of both defect clustering and solid-state amorphization, which appear to be driven by local energy and elastic instabilities from the accumulation of defects. The results provide guidance on experimental approaches to reveal the onset of these processes.

The densification behaviors of two silicon nitride nanopowder mixtures based respectively on α-Si3N4 and β-Si3N4 as the major phase constituent were studied by spark plasma sintering. Sintering conditions were established where a low viscous liquid not in equilibrium with the main crystalline constituent(s) stimulated the grain sliding yet did not activate the reprecipitation mechanism that unavoidably yields grain growth. By this way of dynamic grain sliding full densification of silicon nitride nanoceramics was achieved with no noticeable involvement of α- to β-Si3N4 phase transformation and grain growth. This processing principle opens the way toward flexible and precise tailoring of the microstructures and properties of Si3N4 ceramics. The obtained silicon nitride nanoceramics showed improved wear resistance, particularly under higher Hertzian stresses.

The early stages of surface oxidation of biaxially textured Ni–W tapes were studied using thermodynamic calculations along with experimental tape oxidation at low P(O2). Tape phase and chemical composition, surface morphology, and roughness were examined using x-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive x-ray analysis (EDX), secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). For a Ni0.95W0.05 alloy tape, the precise position of the tape oxidation line in P(O2)–T coordinates was established. This line includes a break at T ≈ 650 °C that originates from the change of the W oxidation mechanism from internal oxidation to oxidation on a free surface accompanied by segregation of the alloy components in the tape near-surface region. The surface roughness of a polished tape increased drastically during internal oxidation of W; further tape oxidation did not affect the integral roughness parameters, but introduced numerous small (˜;100 nm) features on the tape surface comprising NiO precipitates.

The effects of variable conversion parameters on the microstructure and critical currents of TFA-derived YBa2Cu3O7 (YBCO) films annealed under low-pressure conditions were investigated, accompanied by the analysis of their relationship with the nucleation process and the growth rate. It is found that non-c-axis oriented YBCO grains are formed under high supersaturation conditions, i.e., by increasing oxygen pressure, water pressure, or temperature. The optimal PH2O–PO2 window for preparation of completely c-axis oriented YBCO films expands as the total pressure rises from 50 to 100 mbar due to the decrease of supersaturation at enhanced total pressure; the corresponding maximum growth rate is only slightly increased up to 0.6 nm/s. Additionally, it is shown that the gas flow needs to be high enough to avoid random nucleation of YBCO grains. A single gas-flow–water-pressure diagram, showing simultaneously the film-growth rate, allows visualizing the cross-linked influence of processing parameters to achieve c-axis oriented YBCO films with Jc above 1 MA/cm2 in one single growth step.

The effect of BaCu(B2O5) (BCB) on the sintering temperature and microwave dielectric properties of Ba(Nd0.8Bi0.2)2Ti4O12 (BNBT) ceramics was investigated. The sintering temperature of the BNBT ceramics was significantly reduced from 1300 to 900 °C. Due to adding BCB into Ba(Nd1–xBix)2Ti4O12, the temperature coefficient of resonant frequency can be adjusted to zero with BCB content increasing. Good microwave dielectric properties of quality factor (Q×f) = 2600 GHz, εr = 75, and τf = 5 ppm/°C were obtained for BNBT with 7 wt% BCB sintered at 925 °C for 2 h, which make it a potential candidate for low temperature cofired ceramics applications.

Polyimide (PI)-matrix composite films containing inorganic nanoparticles (nano-Al2O3 and nano-TiO2) have been fabricated. A proposed model is used to explain different structures of the (Al2O3–TiO2)/PI (ATP) films synthesized by employing in situ polymerization. Dependences of dielectric permittivities of the ATP films on frequency and temperature were studied. Results show the breakdown strength of the films decreases with prolonging the corona aging time. The incorporation of the nano-Al2O3 and nano-TiO2 particles significantly improves the corona resistance of the films. The corona aging also influences the infrared absorbance, the glass transition temperature (Tg), and loss factor (tanδ) of the ATP films.

C-doped, Mo-doped, and (Mo, C)-codoped TiO2 photocatalysts were prepared by a sol-gel process. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated by the photocatalytic degradation of methyl orange (MO) under simulated solar irradiation. Results indicated that both monodoped and codoped TiO2 exhibited better visible light absorption behavior and narrower energy gap than pure TiO2, and codoped TiO2 showed a slightly higher adsorption property in the dark because of higher Brunauer–Emmett–Teller-specific surface area. The photocatalytic activity of monodoped TiO2 was also enhanced, and the (0.04% Mo, C)-codoped sample had the best photocatalytic activity for degrading MO among all of the samples. The reason can be ascribed to the synergistic effect due to Mo and C doping. Furthermore, the transfer pathways of photoinduced carriers and photocatalytic reaction mechanism of (Mo, C)-codoped TiO2 was first investigated.