NANO-INDENTATION METHOD OF CHARACTERIZING THE INFLUENCE OF THE SURFACE TREATMENT OF A MATERIAL ON ITS MECHANICAL PROPERTIES

摘要

The subject of the present invention is a nano-indentation technique for evaluating the influence of a surface treatment on a mechanical property of a given material, measured on the surface over thicknesses of less than a few hundred nanometres. This improvement lies in a protocol for determining the contact points of the indenter, making the measurements reliable and repeatable. One advantageous application of this method is that of determining the capability of chemical additives to increase the hardness of a natural calcium carbonate, and therefore to facilitate the fracture mechanisms inherent in a grinding process.