In situ TEM based nano mechanical testing has been a powerful tool for directly correlating the mechanical response with the underlying physical mechanism and microstructure evolution when materials are subjected to a stress. However, geometrical restriction of the specimen thickness for electron transparency poses limitations with respect to the length scale and the choice of materials which can be tested. Applying in-situ mechanical testing to other high resolution microscopy techniques such as SEM, AFM and Laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) opens up the possibility of testing a wider range of materials particularly soft polymers and biomaterials at the nanometer to micrometer length scale. Combining this real-time in-situ mechanical testing with Digital Image Correlation (DIC), for mapping the local strain, will revolutionize our understanding of deformation mechanics of materials. This project will develop a new quantitative in-situ micro/nano mechanical test instrument with interchangeable transducers which can be integrated into many microscopy systems (SEM, AFM, LSCM) yielding quantitative load-displacement data concomitant with real time images of the microstructural behavior. The images obtained can be analyzed using DIC for local strain mapping. In Phase I we will design the transducers, three axis positioner, modular frame, specimen holders, control hardware and software. The feasibility of the design will be studied using 3D CAD models and Finite Element Simulation. The fully-integrated system will built and tested in Phase II.
Keywords: Polymers,Biomaterials, In-Situ Micro/Nanomechanics, Micro Scale Testing, Nano Scale Testing, Afm, Sem, Dic.
