Determination of mechanical properties from sharp dynamic indentation

In this study, a dynamic indentation test method based on the split Hopkinson pressure bar is proposed to obtain the dynamic parameters of Ludwik power law constitutive, namely, Young’s modulus E, strength coefficient K, and strain hardening index n by analyzing dynamic indentation load-indentation depth curve obtained from the theories relating to the Hopkinson pressure bar. The important parameters, namely, loading curvature C and transformation factor [Formula: see text], are invoked to examine the dynamic indentation response results in a wide range of target material parameters. Finite element calculation results are processed through simulation of dynamic indentation response with broad material parameters. Furthermore, the analytical method is used to fit simulation results to obtain the analytical equations for elastic–plastic parameters and curvature parameters for the subsequent analysis. The analytical equation of forward model to predict dynamic indentation response parameter–loading curvature C of a known material is proposed. Then, the elastic–plastic parameters of unknown materials (according to Ludwik power law) are obtained by substituting the dynamic indentation response parameters into an inverse analytical equation under the two types of half-cone angle indenters. The method is verified by other typical materials, which shows that the dynamic indentation test based on the split Hopkinson pressure bar can obtain sufficient conditions to obtain dynamic mechanical properties of target materials.

Viscoelastic properties of white and gray matter-derived microglia differentiate upon treatment with lipopolysaccharide but not upon treatment with myelin

Background The biomechanical properties of the brain have increasingly been shown to relate to brain pathology in neurological diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS). Inflammation and demyelination in MS induce significant changes in brain stiffness which can be linked to the relative abundance of glial cells in lesions. We hypothesize that the biomechanical, in addition to biochemical, properties of white (WM) and gray matter (GM)-derived microglia may contribute to the differential microglial phenotypes as seen in MS WM and GM lesions. Methods Primary glial cultures from WM or GM of rat adult brains were treated with either lipopolysaccharide (LPS), myelin, or myelin+LPS for 24 h or left untreated as a control. After treatment, microglial cells were indented using dynamic indentation to determine the storage and loss moduli reflecting cell elasticity and cell viscosity, respectively, and subsequently fixed for immunocytochemical analysis. In parallel, gene expression of inflammatory-related genes were measured using semi-quantitative RT-PCR. Finally, phagocytosis of myelin was determined as well as F-actin visualized to study the cytoskeletal changes. Results WM-derived microglia were significantly more elastic and more viscous than microglia derived from GM. This heterogeneity in microglia biomechanical properties was also apparent when treated with LPS when WM-derived microglia decreased cell elasticity and viscosity, and GM-derived microglia increased elasticity and viscosity. The increase in elasticity and viscosity observed in GM-derived microglia was accompanied by an increase in Tnfα mRNA and reorganization of F-actin which was absent in WM-derived microglia. In contrast, when treated with myelin, both WM- and GM-derived microglia phagocytose myelin decrease their elasticity and viscosity. Conclusions In demyelinating conditions, when myelin debris is phagocytized, as in MS lesions, it is likely that the observed differences in WM- versus GM-derived microglia biomechanics are mainly due to a difference in response to inflammation, rather than to the event of demyelination itself. Thus, the differential biomechanical properties of WM and GM microglia may add to their differential biochemical properties which depend on inflammation present in WM and GM lesions of MS patients.

Evaluation of the error of indirect measurements of physical-mechanical characteristics of materials by dynamic indentation method

The metrological problems of measuring the physic and mechanical characteristics of materials by dynamic indentation are considered. It is shown that the estimation of measurement error demanding the creation of the reference blocks is ineffective due to the wide variety of controlled materials and a wide range of changes in their properties. A technique has been developed for evaluating the accuracy of measurements based on the errors of individual parameters included in the calculation equation, i.e. by determining the error of indirect measurements. The technique is based on the estimation of the boundaries of the random error of the measured characteristics of the material and the non-excluded systematic errors of the parameters that are used for the calculations of needed characteristics. The results of experimental studies are presented, indicating that due to the different character of the dependencies of hardness and elastic modulus, the error in measuring the elastic modulus exceeds the error in measuring hardness. In addition, it was found that the error in measuring the characteristics of materials by the dynamic indentation method exceeds the measurement error by the static indentation method and can be reduced by increasing the accuracy of the equipment used for the registration of impact process. The obtained values of the physic and mechanical characteristics of the materials and the values of the measurement error show that the dynamic indentation method can effectively solve the problem of non-destructive testing of hardness, elastic modulus, and strain hardening exponent of metals and products with an appropriate error.

DEVELOPMENT OF AN APPROACH FOR ASSESSING THE HARDNESS OF COATINGS WITH DYNAMIC INDENTATION

The article discusses the features of the method for assessing the hardness of coating materials based on the dynamic indentation approach, the essence of which is the continuous registration of the process of contact interaction of the indenter with the material under study. According to the research results, a regression dependence was obtained in the form of a polynomial of the second degree, which makes it possible to assess the hardness of a galvanic nickel coating.

Determination of stress–strain curves of materials at high strain rates using dynamic indentation technique

Determination of dynamic behaviour of materials is a serious challenge in mechanics of materials. In this investigation, a new approach is proposed to obtain stress–strain curves of metals from dynamic indentation test. This approach is based on a combined experiment, simulation, and optimization techniques. In the experiment side, a conical penetrator is shot against the material as the target. The load–indentation depth curve is obtained from the dynamic indentation test. The indentation test is simulated using Ls-dyna and the numerical load–indentation depth is obtained from the simulation. The stress–strain curves are defined by Johnson–Cook material model. From optimization of the difference between the experimental and numerical load–indentation depth curves, the constants of the material model are identified. The material model is validated also by stress–strain curves obtained from quasi-static test conducted using Instron and dynamic tests conducted using Split Hopkinson Bar. The results show a close agreement between the model prediction and the experimental stress–strain curves for different strain rates.