Versatile Micro/Nano-mechanical Load Frame For In

Bio-inspired polymer micro and nano composites motivate next generation armor materials. Predictive multi-scale models require small scale test equipment. The proposed microscale Universal Testing Machine (mUTS) aims at filling the void in commercial micro and nanoscale materials testing instrumentation. The methods and hardware proposed enable concurrent high resolution imaging of specimens by optical, atomic force or scanning electron microscopy. Applying Digital Image Correlation to captured images offers full-field strains in heterogeneous and nanostructured polymeric and biological materials, capturing the effects of local anisotropy. The modular nature of this mUTS allows for force measurements from nN to hundreds of Newtons. The mUTS facilitates creep and stress relaxation experiments with micro and nanoscale specimens, and tests at time scales of milliseconds to hours. These capabilities are essential for the characterization of viscoelastic/viscoplastic materials where time is integral in their constitutive behavior. Several considerations in the design of this apparatus aim at removing measurement artifacts and environmental effects, while a variety of specimen fixtures permits different stress/strain profiles in the tested materials. This proposal benefits from the synergy between an Academic expert with long experience in micro and nanoscale experimentation and Psylotech’s expertise in novel force sensors and viscoelastic materials testing.