A New Method of Nano Hardness Determination

Abstract

A comparision of different methods of nano hardness determation (i.e., Oliver and Pharr, finite-element, ideal and surface nanohardness) is carried out. The most common Oliver and Pharr method provides hardness determination only at the maximum loading of the indenter living aside the elastic component of deformation and, moreover, is rather complex and labourious method. The developed method applicable for any material provides calculation of the surface nano hardness within the whole range of indenter loading with allowance for elastic and plastic components of the strain because the calculation is carried out by the depth of indenter embedding.