Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Measurements of mechanical properties of α-phase in Cu–Sn alloys by using instrumented nanoindentation

  • Published:
Journal of Materials Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Instrumented nanoindentation technique is a powerful approach for accurately measuring mechanical properties of materials in micron or even nanoscale. In this article, the effect of tin (Sn) content upon mechanical properties of the α-phase in Cu–Sn alloys was studied by using an instrumented nanoindentation. The experimental results revealed that: (i) the hardness of the α-phase exhibited a linear relationship with Sn content (C) increasing, i.e., H = 0.0757C + 0.8916, when it was less than the maximum solid solubility (15.8 wt.%), which is in good agreement with the Friedel–Mott–Suzuki theory; (ii) the variation of Young’s modulus in a narrow range of 120–130 GPa is attributed to orientation variation of the α-phase in casting Cu–Sn dendrites.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

FIG. 1.
FIG. 2.
FIG. 3.
FIG. 4.
FIG. 5.
TABLE I.
FIG. 6.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. R. Gordon and R. Knopf: Metallurgy of bronze used in tools from Machu Picchu, Peru. Archaeometry 48, 57 (2006).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. J.S. Park, C.W. Park, and K.J. Lee: Implication of peritectic composition in historical high-tin bronze metallurgy. Mater. Charact. 60, 1268 (2009).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. R.D. Joseph: Copper and Copper Alloys. (ASM International. Handbook Committee, 2001), pp. 44–46.

    Google Scholar 

  4. R. Selver and R. Varol: Some thermal and physical characteristics of sintered tin bronze bearings. Metall. 57, 28 (2002).

    Google Scholar 

  5. B.S. Ünlüa and E. Atik: Evaluation of effect of alloy elements in copper based CuSn10 and CuZn30 bearings on tribological and mechanical properties. J. Alloy. Comp. 489, 262 (2010).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. T.K. He: Synthetic study on the alloying technique for bronze in the pre-QIN period. Studies in the History of Natural Sciences 16, 273 (1997) (Article in Chinese, Abstract in English).

    Google Scholar 

  7. D.A. Scott: Metallography and Microstructure of Ancient and Historic Metals. (The Getty Conservation Institute J. Paul Getty Museum, Malibu CA, 1991), p. 121.

    Google Scholar 

  8. J. Audy and K. Audy: Analysis of bell materials: Tin bronzes. China Foundry 5, 199 (2008).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. J.B. Pethicai, R. Hutchings, and W.C. Oliver: Hardness measurement at penetration depths as small as 20 nm. Philos. Mag. A 48, 593 (1983).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. W.C. Oliver and G.M. Pharr: An improved technique for determining hardness and elastic modulus using load and displacement sensing indentation experiments. J. Mater. Res. 7, 1564 (1992).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. X.D. Li and B. Bhushan: A review of nanoindentation continuous stiffness measurement technique and its applications. Mater. Charact. 48, 11 (2002).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. W.C. Oliver and G.M. Pharr: Measurement of hardness and elastic modulus by instrumented indentation: Advances in understanding and refinements to methodology. J. Mater. Res. 19, 3 (2004).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. F. Riede and J.M. Wheeler: Testing the “Laacher See hypothesis”: Tephra as dental abrasive. J. Archaeol. Sci. 36, 2384 (2009).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. L.A. Darnell, M.F. Teaford, K.J.T. Livi, and T.P. Weihs: Variations in the mechanical properties of Alouatta palliata molar enamel. Am. J. Phys. Anthropol. 141, 7 (2010).

    Google Scholar 

  15. G.D. Sanson, S.A. Kerr, and K.A. Gross: Do silica phytoliths really wear mammalian teeth? J. Archaeol. Sci. 34, 526 (2007).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. H. Lerner, X.D. Du, A. Costopoulos, and M. Ostoja-Starzewski: Lithic raw material physical properties and use-wear accrual. J. Archaeol. Sci. 34, 711 (2007).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. R. Fleischer and W. Hibbard: The Relation Between Structure and Mechanical Properties of Metals, Vol. 1. (H.M.S.O., London, 1963), p. 262.

    Google Scholar 

  18. N. Mott and F. Nabarro: Report on the Strength of Solids. (Physical Society, London, 1948), pp. 1–19.

    Google Scholar 

  19. N. Mott: Imperfections in Nearly Perfect Crystals. (John Wiley, New York, 1952), p. 173.

    Google Scholar 

  20. F. Nabarro: Dislocations and Properties of Real Materials. (The Institute of Metals, London, 1985), p. 152.

    Google Scholar 

  21. J. Friedel: Dislocations. (Addison-Wesley, New York, 1964), p. 224.

    Google Scholar 

  22. T. Suzuki, S. Takeuchi, and H. Yoshinaga: Dislocation Dynamics and Plasticity. (Springer-Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg, 1991), p. 32.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  23. E. Schmidt and W. Boas: Plasticity of Crystals, English Translation. (Hughes and Co., London, 1950), p.191.

    Google Scholar 

  24. S.N. Dub, Y.Y. Lim, and M.M. Chaudhri: Nanohardness of high purity Cu (111) single crystals: The effect of indenter load and prior plastic sample strain. J. Appl. Phys. 107, 043510 (2010).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. ISO 1577-1: “Metallic materials-Instrumented indentation test for hardness and materials parameter-Test method.” (ISO Central Secretariat, Geneva, Switzerland, 2002).

    Google Scholar 

  26. J. Chen and Y.S. Lai: Towards elastic anisotropy and strain-induced void formation in Cu-Sn crystalline phases. Microelectron. Reliab. 49, 264 (2009).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. R. An, C.Q. Wang, Y.H. Tian, and H. Wu: Determination of the elastic properties of Cu3Sn through first-principles calculations. J. Electron. Mater. 37(4), 477 (2008).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Z.D. Guo, X.F. Wang, X.P. Yang, D.M. Jiang, X.M. Ma, and H.W. Song: Relationships between young’s modulus, hardness and orientation of grain in polycrystalline copper. Acta Metall. Sin. 44, 901 (2008).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Department of Culture of Wuhan, China, and the Higher education of scientific research project Foundation of China (No. 20070486016).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Physics and Technology and Key Laboratory of Artificial Micro- and Nano-structures of Ministry of Education, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China

    Yang Li, Kang He, Chengwei Liao & Chunxu Pan

  2. Center for Archaeometry, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China

    Chunxu Pan

Authors
  1. Yang Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kang He
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Chengwei Liao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Chunxu Pan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Chunxu Pan.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Li, Y., He, K., Liao, C. et al. Measurements of mechanical properties of α-phase in Cu–Sn alloys by using instrumented nanoindentation. Journal of Materials Research 27, 192–196 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2011.299

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2011.299

Search

Navigation