Thin mechanical properties

The Institute has many-year experience of investigations and developments in the field of NDT. These are, mainly, developments which allowed creation of a series of eddy current flaw detectors for various applications. The Institute has traditionally studied the physico-mechanical properties of materials, their stressed-strained state, fracture mechanics and developed on this basis the procedures and instruments which measure the properties and predict the behaviour of materials. Quite important are also developments of technologies and equipment for control of thickness and adhesion of thin protective coatings on various bases, corrosion control of underground pipelines by indirect method, acoustic emission control of hydrogen and corrosion cracking in structural materials, etc. 

The technological importance of thin films in snch areas as semicondnctor devices and sensors has led to a demand for mechanical property infonnation for these systems. Measuring the elastic modnlns for thin films is mnch harder than the corresponding measurement for bnlk samples, since the results obtained by traditional indentation methods are strongly perturbed by the properties of the substrate material. Additionally, the behaviour of the film under conditions of low load, which is necessary for the measnrement of thin-film properties, is strongly inflnenced by surface forces [75]. Since the force microscope is both sensitive to surface forces and has extremely high depth resolntion, it shows considerable promise as a teclnhqne for the mechanical characterization of thin films. 

The insulating value and mechanical properties of rigid plastic foams have led to the development of several novel methods of buUding constmction. Polyurethane foam panels may be used as unit stmctural components (220) and expanded polystyrene is employed as a concrete base in thin-sheU constmction (221). 

Rea.ctivity ofLea.d—Ca.lcium Alloys. Precise control of the calcium content is required to control the grain stmcture, corrosion resistance, and mechanical properties of lead—calcium alloys. Calcium reacts readily with air and other elements such as antimony, arsenic, and sulfur to produce oxides or intermetaUic compounds (see Calciumand calciumalloys). In these reactions, calcium is lost and suspended soHds reduce fluidity and castibiUty. The very thin grids that are required for automotive batteries are difficult to cast from lead—calcium alloys. 

Mechanical Properties. The performance of various polyester resin compositions can be distinguished by comparing the mechanical properties of thin castings (3 mm) of the neat resin defined in ASTM testing procedures (15). This technique is used widely to characterize subtle changes in flexural, tensile, and compressive properties that are generally overshadowed in highly filled or reinforced laminates. 

Thin films formed by atomistic deposition techniques are unique materials that seldom have handbook properties. Properties of these thin films depend on several factors (4), including substrate surface condition, the deposition process used, details of the deposition process and system geometry, details of film growth on the substrate surface, and post-deposition processing and reactions. For some appHcations, such as wear resistance, the mechanical properties of the substrate is important to the functionaHty of the thin film. In order to have reproducible film properties, each of these factors must be controUed. 

Film Adhesion. The adhesion of an inorganic thin film to a surface depends on the deformation and fracture modes associated with the failure (4). The strength of the adhesion depends on the mechanical properties of the substrate surface, fracture toughness of the interfacial material, and the appHed stress. Adhesion failure can occur owiag to mechanical stressing, corrosion, or diffusion of interfacial species away from the interface. The failure can be exacerbated by residual stresses in the film, a low fracture toughness of the interfacial material, or the chemical and thermal environment or species in the substrate, such as gases, that can diffuse to the interface. 

Mechanical Properties. The mechanical properties of thin films is affected by the film density and composition. In many appHcations, the properties of the substrate material is important to the functionaHty of the thin film in mechanical appHcations. 

Many mechanical properties of wood, such as bending and cmshing strength and hardness, depend upon the density of wood denser woods are generally stronger (6). Wood density is determined largely by the relative thickness of the cell wall and by the proportions of thick-walled and thin-walled cells present. 

Thin-film XRD is important in many technological applications, because of its abilities to accurately determine strains and to uniquely identify the presence and composition of phases. In semiconduaor and optical materials applications, XRD is used to measure the strain state, orientation, and defects in epitaxial thin films, which affect the film s electronic and optical properties. For magnetic thin films, it is used to identify phases and to determine preferred orientations, since these can determine magnetic properties. In metallurgical applications, it is used to determine strains in surfiice layers and thin films, which influence their mechanical properties. For packaging materials, XRD can be used to investigate diffusion and phase formation at interfaces... 

Strained set of lattice parameters and calculating the stress from the peak shifts, taking into account the angle of the detected sets of planes relative to the surface (see discussion above). If the assumed unstrained lattice parameters are incorrect not all peaks will give the same values. It should be borne in mind that, because of stoichiometry or impurity effects, modified surface films often have unstrained lattice parameters that are different from the same materials in the bulk form. In addition, thin film mechanical properties (Young s modulus and Poisson ratio) can differ from those of bulk materials. Where pronounced texture and stress are present simultaneously analysis can be particularly difficult. 

Radiation curing of epoxies with cationic initiators is well known [20—28]. UV-visible light has been the predominant radiation source the process has been limited to thin coatings due to the low penetration of the visible-UV light [22,23], Thermal and mechanical properties of these materials are low and the curing is incomplete. Several studies have shown that commercially available epoxies with various cationic initiators can be polymerized with EB curing [20,29-34]. 

Electroplating—the process of electrodeposition onto a metallic substrate of a thin adherent layer of a metal or alloy having desirable chemical, physical and/or mechanical properties. 

The mechanical properties of ionomers can be appreciably altered by the manner in which the ionomer is prepared and treated prior to testing. Some of the factors that are influential are the degree of conversion (neutralization) from the acid form to the salt form, the nature of the thermal treatment or aging, the type of counterion that is introduced, the solvent that is used for preparation of thin films, and the presence and nature of any plasticizers or additives that may be present. In the scope of this chapter, it is not possible to provide a complete description of the influence of each of these variables on the wide variety of ionomers that are now commercially available or produced in the laboratory. Instead, one or more examples of the changes in properties that may be induced by each of the processing variables is presented and discussed. 

As one example, in thin films of Na or K salts of PS-based ionomers cast from a nonpolar solvent, THF, shear deformation is only present when the ion content is near to or above the critical ion content of about 6 mol% and the TEM scan of Fig. 3, for a sample of 8.2 mol% demonstrates this but, for a THF-cast sample of a divalent Ca-salt of an SPS ionomer, having only an ion content of 4.1 mol%, both shear deformation zones and crazes are developed upon tensile straining in contrast to only crazing for the monovalent K-salt. This is evident from the TEM scans of Fig. 5. For the Ca-salt, one sees both an unfibrillated shear deformation zone, and, within this zone, a typical fibrillated craze. The Ca-salt also develops a much more extended rubbery plateau region than Na or K salts in storage modulus versus temperature curves and this is another indication that a stronger and more stable ionic network is present when divalent ions replace monovalent ones. Still another indication that the presence of divalent counterions can enhance mechanical properties comes from... 

Thin wall plastics are used to hot fill (injection and blow molded bottles, thermoformed containers, etc.) without sagging during filling and maintaining mechanical properties such as impact strength and stiffness in temperatures from at least —40°F to 250°F (—40°C to 120°C). Plastic used includes special grades of PEN, PET, PP, PS, and PVC. 

There is the microtoming optical analysis test. In this procedure thin slices (under 30 tixri) of the plastics are cut from the product at any level and microscopically examined under polarized light transmitted through the sample. Rapid quality and failure analysis examination occurs by this technique. This technique has been used for many years in biological studies and by metallurgists to determine flaws, physical and mechanical properties. Examination can be related to stress patterns, mechanical properties, etc. 

Mechanical properties of solid surfaces and thin hlms... 

Wang, X., Martin, P. J., and Kinder, T. J., Optical and Mechanical Properties of Carbon Nitride Films Prepared by Ion-Assisted Arc Deposition and Magnetron Sputtering, Thin SolidFilms, o. 256, Ho. 1-2,1995,pp. 148-154. 

Popov, C., Zambov, L. M., Plass, M. R, and Kulisch, W., Optical, Electrical and Mechanical Properties of Nitrogen-rich Carbon Nitride Films Deposited by Inductively Coupled Plasma Chemical Vapor Deposition," Thin Solid Films, Vol. 377-378,2000, pp. 156-162. 

Barnett, S. A., "Deposition and Mechanical Properties of Superlattice Thin Films, Rhysics of Thin Films, Vol. 17, Mechanic and Dielectric Rroperties, M. H. Francombe and J. L. Vossen, Eds., Academic Press, Inc., 1993, pp. 2-77. 

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