High-Temperature Microsample Testing System

ABSTRACT: There has been growing interest in nano- and micro-scale testing of materials at increasingly elevated temperatures. However technological obstacles have limited the range of materials that can be tested and limited the temperatures that can be successfully reached for experimentation due to oxidation of the sample, thermal drift in the actuation and heat management of the system. For this Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project,"High-Temperature Microsample Testing System,"Nanomechanics Inc. (NMI) proposes to complete a conceptual design for a high-temperature microsample test system that can function in both tension and compression for samples from 500 degrees C to 1100 degrees C, with the purpose of completing a prototype of the system in Phase II. BENEFIT: The technology developed from this project will open up a new testing regime for those involved in micro- and nano-mechanical testing. High temperature, in situ testing will be possible for temperatures up to 1100 Celsius for nanoindentation experiments, as well as other microsample experiments such as tensile testing.