An Instrumented Indentation Method for Young’s Modulus Measurement with Accuracy Estimation

The relationships between indentation responses and Young’s modulus of an indented material were investigated by employing dimensional analysis and finite element method. Three representative tip bluntness geometries were introduced to describe the shape of a real Berkovich indenter. It was demonstrated that for each of these bluntness geometries, a set of approximate indentation relationships correlating the ratio of nominal hardness/reduced Young’s modulus H _n /E _r and the ratio of elastic work/total work W _e/W can be derived. Consequently, a method for Young’s modulus measurement combined with its accuracy estimation was established on basis of these relationships. The effectiveness of this approach was verified by performing nanoindentation tests on S45C carbon steel and 6061 aluminum alloy and microindentation tests on aluminum single crystal, GCr15 bearing steel and fused silica.