Akio Yonezu

On radial crack and half-penny crack induced by Vickers indentation

Based on the stress fields formed upon Vickers indentation, the radial crack and half-penny crack systems are analysed separately using finite-element analyses. The crack length is correlated with the stress intensity factor (SIF) at the crack front and material elastoplastic properties via explicit relationships, from which a reverse analysis can be carried out such that the critical SIF (fracture toughness) can be readily derived once the crack length is measured. The proposed technique is validated by comparing with experimental data in the literature as well as parallel experiments of Vickers indentation-induced cracking.

Monitoring of stress corrosion cracking in stainless steel weldments by acoustic and electrochemical measurements

A new hybrid monitoring technique for chloride stress corrosion cracking (SCC) is proposed. It uses both the acoustic emission (AE) and corrosion potential fluctuation (CPF) techniques. This paper discusses the results of SCC tests on butt-welded Type 304 stainless steel pipes. The weld pipe suffered transgranular (TG)-SCC in a concentrated magnesium chloride solution (40 mass%), but suffered intergranular (IG) attack and falling-off of grains in a heat-affected zone (HAZ) in a dilute chloride solution (35 mass%). SCC initiations in both concentrated and dilute corrodants were successfully monitored using a CPF technique. However, the CPF technique could not monitor the propagation of the SCC. This propagation could be detected using an AE technique. Secondary AE was produced by hydrogen gas evolution and by the cracking of corrosion products, and the primary AE was produced by the falling-off of grains due to the mutual actions of anodic dissolution and the mechanical fracture along a chromium-depleted zone in the grain boundary. The volume of metal loss by the dissolution was predicted from the local anodic current due to the fluctuation of the corrosion potential, and was found to correspond to the volume of the grain boundary attack. The fact that the primary AE was detected just after rapid drop (RD)-type CPF suggested that the grain boundary corrosion caused the falling-off of the grain that produced the primary AE.

Advanced indentation technique for strength evaluation of hard thin films

Abstract A new hybrid technique for studying the fracture mechanism and strength of hard thin film is developed. The technique utilizes acoustic emission (AE) data, corrosion potential fluctuation (CPF) data and finite element method (FEM) for Vickers indentation test. This method was applied to TiN film deposited by PVD method on four metallic substrates of austenitic stainless steel, carbon steel, forging steel and pure iron. We detected both the AE and CPF from equidistant ripple cracks or step-wise terraces produced outside of the indentation during loading in a buffer solution (H3PO4, pH 6.86). Characteristic potential fluctuations, termed as a RD-type CPF (rapid drop to active potential and gradual recovery) and strong AEs were simultaneously produced by Mode-I ripple cracks of the film. They were produced by film bending during the penetration of the pyramidal indenter. The number of ripple cracks observed during indentation agreed well with that of RD-type CPF. Detailed analysis indicated the generation of ripple cracks at a constant distance Lc. The value of Lc can be predicted by the RD-type CPF timing and the penetration rate of the indenter. Bending strength of the film was estimated by FEM using the Lc value. Intrinsic strength of the TiN film, determined by subtraction of residual stress, was measured as 0.9–1.4 GPa. These values are almost constant independent of the substrate material and consistent with the reported strength of 1.2 GPa.

An indentation fatigue strength law

Indentation fatigue, where a cyclic load is applied on the sample via an indenter, emerges as an alternative approach for measuring the fatigue properties of materials. We have carried out indentation fatigue tests on a poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) bulk material, as well as on TiN and NiP films/coatings deposited on SUS304 steel substrates, and demonstrate that a simple power-law relationship can be established between the indentation load amplitude and number of cycles to failure. Such a law is very similar to the conventional fatigue strength law obtained from uniaxial tests. The agreement between the fatigue stress exponents obtained by uniaxial and indentation fatigue tests suggests the potential applicability of the indentation fatigue technique for extracting the fatigue properties of materials.

On the mechanism of intergranular stress corrosion cracking of sensitized stainless steel in tetrathionate solution

Intergranular stress corrosion cracking (SCC) mechanism in sensitized stainless steel (Type 304) was investigated experimentally. A tetra-thionic potassium (K2S4O6) chemical solution was used to mimic polythionic acid SCC which the most aggressive SCC type. During the SCC test, the steel specimen was subjected to three-point bending with constant strain at room temperature, and simultaneous monitoring of acoustic emission and corrosion potential were employed to monitor SCC initiation and progression. At the early stage, transient phenomenon of local anodic dissolution was observed. Upon initiation of SCC, passivation film fracture and dissolution of metal at specimen surface take place. Through microscopic observation of SCC tip, it was found that the SCC tip advanced along the grain boundary with further mechanical loading. This suggested that the stress component plays a significant role of SCC propagation, in addition to the effect of the localized metal dissolution along Cr-depleted grain boundaries.

Realization of freestanding wrinkled thin films with flexible deformability

We propose a technique for producing freestanding films having a wrinkled structure. In an experiment, we discovered that a wrinkle pattern can be made on the surface of a sacrificial resin layer by applying compressive strain under the appropriate conditions. Using this phenomenon, we made a freestanding wrinkled film by depositing a film on the wrinkled resin surface and then removing the resin layer with an organic solvent. Uniaxial tensile tests for 300 nm thick freestanding copper wrinkled films revealed that the films have superior deformability: the fracture elongation is more than ten times larger than that of its straight film counterpart.

A Method to Estimate Residual Stress in Austenitic Stainless Steel Using a Microindentation Test

This study proposed a method to evaluate the residual stress and plastic strain of an austenitic stainless steel using a microindentation test. The austenitic stainless steel SUS316L obeys the Ludwick’s work hardening law and is subjected to in-plane equi-biaxial residual stress. A numerical experiment with the finite element method (FEM) was carried out to simulate an indentation test for SUS316L having various plastic strains (pre-strains) and residual stresses. It was found that the indentation force increased with increasing pre-strain as well as with compressive residual stress. Next, a parametric FEM study by changing both residual stress σres and pre-strain εpre was conducted to deduce the relationship between the indentation curve and the parameters εpre and σres (which were employed for the FEM study). This relationship can be expressed by a dimensionless function with simple formulae. Thus, the present method can estimate both εpre and σres, when a single indentation test is applied to SUS316L.

Detection of Stress Corrosion Cracking of Type 304 Stainless Steel Using Acoustic Emission and Corrosion Potential Fluctuation

This paper discusses the mechanism of chloride SCC of sensitized and non-sensitized Type-304 stainless steel based on the data obtained by simultaneous monitoring of AE and corrosion potential fluctuation (CPF). The steel produced transgranular SCC via corrosion pits filled with corrosion product (chromium oxy-hydroxides) in 35 mass % MgCl2 solution. Both the pitting corrosion and transgranular SCC did not produce primary AEs due to anodic dissolution, while they generated rapid drop (RD) type CPF. We, however, detected the secondary AEs from hydrogen gas evolution and fracture of corrosion products. Hydrogen gas was found to produce AE with single frequency component, while the fracture of corrosion products produced AEs with broad frequency components. The sensitized steel produced primary AEs due to the falling-off of grains as well as the secondary AEs. Microscopic progression of SCC was consistently interpreted by the timing and time-lag of AEs and CPFs.

Tensile deformation of polytetrafluoroethylene hollow fiber membranes used for water purification

The tensile deformation behavior of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) hollow fiber membranes is studied. PTFE membranes at present have sub-micron pores with an open cell structure, which plays a critical role in water purification. One of the main challenges in water purification is that the pore structure becomes covered with biofouling, leading to blocked pores. To maintain the capacity for water purification, physical cleaning along with mechanical deformation is usually conducted. Thus, it is crucial to understand the mechanical properties, in particular the deformation behavior, of the membrane fibers. Using uniaxial tension experiments, we established a fundamental discrete model to describe the deformation behavior of a porous structure using a finite element method. The present model enables the prediction of the macroscopic deformation behavior of the membrane, by taking into account the changes of pore structure. The insight may be useful for porous membrane fabrication and provide insights for the reliable operation of water purification.

Creation of freestanding wrinkled nano-films with desired deformation properties by controlling the surface morphology of a sacrificial layer

Various wrinkle patterns can be formed due to the buckling of a stiff thin film on a compliant substrate. However, most wrinkled films previously reported were fixed on a large deformable substrate and thereby the potential deformability of the film was mechanically constrained by the substrate. In this study, we developed a technique for forming various wrinkled structures on the surface of a sacrificial resin layer. Since the sacrificial layer can be subsequently removed with a solvent, freestanding wrinkled films are created using the sacrificial layer. We found that a wrinkled structure is formed on the surface of the layer by applying a compressive strain to the resin layer at the appropriate moment during the hardening process. The wrinkle pattern depends on the curing time and the timing of the straining in two in-plane orthogonal directions. In addition to conventional stripe and labyrinth patterns by simple uniaxial and equi-biaxial strains, respectively, it was found that independent biaxial str...