Extended Applications of the Depth-Sensing Indentation Method

The depth-sensing indentation method has been applied for almost 30 years. In this review, a survey of several extended applications developed during the last three decades is provided. In depth-sensing indentation measurements, the load and penetration depth data are detected as a function of time, in most cases at controlled loading rates. Therefore, beside the determination of hardness and Young’s modulus, different deformation mechanisms and many other dynamic characteristics and phenomena, such as the dynamic elastic modulus, load-induced phase transition, strain rate sensitivity, etc. can be studied. These extended applications of depth-sensing indentation measurements are briefly described and reviewed.

Study of Flexural Response in Strain Hardening Cementitious Composites Based on Proposed Parametric Model

Strain hardening cementitious composites (SHCCs) are widely used in projects due to their excellent deformation resistance and large energy absorption capacity. However, determining tensile strain capacity is still a challenge for engineers. The current popular approach is to use inverse methods to predict the tensile behavior of SHCCs, such as the UM method (Qian and Li) and the JCI (Japan Concrete Institute) method. The key to these two approaches is to acquire the exact relationship between the bending and the uniaxial response. In this paper, a reasonable linear constitutive model of the SHCCs is modified. Initially, the moment-curvature diagrams are discussed by material parameters. The results reveal that the moment-curvature response is quite sensitive to the variations in the parameter of transition strain α, post-cracking tensile stiffness η, and strain softening stiffness μ, however, for the compressive parameters, the moment-curvature responses influence on flexural behavior is insignificant. Moreover, the load-deflection curve in the mid-span of SHCC, based on the consideration of shear effect, is simulated under a four-point bending test (FPBT). The results show a remarkable consistency with the experimental data when compared to the previous simulations. It is expected that this modified method can enhance an accurate program in order to obtain the tensile capacity.

Control of Shear-Zone-Induced Pressure Fluctuations on Gold Endowment: The Giant El Callao District, Guiana Shield, Venezuela

The El Callao district, with a total endowment of more than 2000 t Au, is considered to be the most prolific gold resource in Venezuela. Mineralization is hosted by a vein system that is genetically associated with the El Callao transpressional shear zone. This vein system consists of a network of interconnected quartz–albite–ankerite veins enveloping a large number of metabasaltic fragments that host gold-bearing pyrites. Based on detailed mineralogical, microstructural, and fluid inclusion studies, a pressure-temperature pathway was established for the evolution of the mineralizing fluid during shear-zone development and exhumation. This path is characterized by repeated episodes of fluid pressure fluctuation from lithostatic (higher than 1.6 kbar) to near-hydrostatic values (<0.4 kbar), recorded throughout the transition from the quasi-plastic to frictional deformation cortical domains. Each successive pressure drop induced boiling of the hydrothermal fluid, with the resulting fluid phase separation controlling: (i) pyrite and invisible gold crystallization, which occurred during ductile and ductile-brittle transition strain conditions, and (ii) primary gold remobilization with consequent native-refined gold precipitation, occurring mainly under brittle conditions. The metallogenic framework that was proposed for the El Callao shear zone can be used as a vector to explore and characterize other mineralized shear zones in the Guiana Shield and analogous orogenic systems worldwide.

Dilatational rheology studies on a semicrystalline ferroelectric copolymer at the air–water interface

Dilatational rheology of Langmuir film of semicrystalline copolymer studied using oscillatory barrier technique show nonlinear behaviour. Evidence for low temperature phase transition, strain hardening and cross over behaviour with frequency is seen.

Fracture Behavior Transition by Change of Strain Rate in Dislocation-Induced Si Steels

The fracture behavior transition due to the change of strain rate in 5%Si magnetic steel with dislocation microstructures was studied. The Si steel was multi-passed rolled at 800°C to a various reductions up to 50%. The room temperature tensile deformation was conducted at various strain rates from 10-5/s to 100/s. All rolled steels were fractured in ductile manners with local elongation (necking) at slower strain rate. When strain rate was faster, the local elongation disappeared and the fracture manner was turned to brittle. The strain rate at which fracture mechanism changed from ductile to brittle increased with the increasing of the reduction. On the other hand, the almost fully recrystallized Si steel was fractured in the brittle manner at any strain rate and the transition strain rate was not found. The fractured tensile specimen with no local elongations contains deformation twins; whereas these deformation twins were not observed in the fractured specimen with local elongations. This result indicates that dislocation structure evolved during rolling suppressed the twinning and that the dislocation structure is effective for the enhancement of toughness in Si steel.

Martensitic Transformation and Metamagnetic Shape Memory Effect in Ni46Co4Mn37in13 Heusler Alloy

The phase transition strain and magnetostrain during the martensitic transformation have been systematically investigated in Ni46Co4Mn37In13 Heusler alloy. A large phase transition strain with the value of about 0.25% upon martensitic transition has been observed, which is much larger than that in other metamagnetic shape memory alloys. In addition, such phase transition strain can be also obtained by the field change of about 50 kOe, exhibiting a large metamagnetic shape memory effect with nonprestrain. This behavior can be attributed to magnetoelastic coupling, which is caused by large difference in Zeeman energy between austenitic and martensitic phases.