Mechanical and Microstructural Characterizations of Deformation Mechanisms at Fine Scales

Dear Colleagues,

The current trend in materials mechanics is to introduce a very fine description of mechanical behavior by taking into account the physical mechanisms of deformation observed at fine scales. This results in an increase in the number of internal variables which considerably increases the computation time necessary for the numerical integration of the constitutive law. Efforts are divided into two fronts: 1) the numerical side, where efforts are focused on increasing the RAM size and computing time and using spectral methods based on the fast Fourier transform to accelerate calculations; 2) the experimental side, where the goal is to obtain very precise metallurgical data of materials by characterizing them at very fine scales.

At the granular microstructure scale, many characterization tools are now available, providing access to experimental values, both from the point of view of microstructural characterization and that of the deformation mechanisms and associated mechanical quantities. The newly developed High-Resolution-EBSD  (HR-EBSD) techniques provide new levels of microstructure data that include improved quantification of crystal orientation, local relative strains and dislocation density.

Deformation experiments on single crystals are among the most difficult experiments to perform but are also those which provide the best information for the identification of the mechanical properties of metals. Compression testing on micropillars or bending testing on microbeams produced by removing material around a region of interest using FIB are very interesting methods, although these techniques require considerable resources in terms of sample preparation, test conditions and operator time. Nanoindentation, due to its ease of use and the possibility of obtaining measurements ranging from the millimeter to nanometric scale, is an essential tool in materials mechanics.

In addition, micro- and nanomechanical devices will certainly play an increasingly important role in future technologies. The creation of these small structures and devices requires an understanding of the mechanical properties of materials at these small length scales. At a macroscopic scale, the mechanical properties of materials are generally described by single-valued parameters (e.g., yield strength, hardness, etc.), which are largely independent of sample size. However, the dimensions of micro and nanoscale devices are comparable to the microstructural characteristics which control the mechanical properties, so the mechanical behavior of these devices cannot be predicted using the known properties of the materials.

The objective of this Special Issue is to present research around the same theme—namely, mechanical and microstructural characterizations of deformation mechanisms at fine scales. We are looking for those who develop fine characterization methods and/or use them to characterize materials. The importance of pooling our strengths to create a positive synergy has been further emphasized by the unprecedented global health crisis we are going through.

Dr. Jean-Sebastien Lecomte
Guest Editor

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• nanoindentation
• in situ experiment
• micropillar
• microbeam
• microstructural characterization