Effect of aqueous‐based mechanical polishing on the nanoindentation response of borosilicate glasses

Abstract

When attempting to measure material properties by sampling near‐surface volumes with techniques like nanoindentation, careful consideration of the state of the surface compared to the bulk is paramount for valid characterization. The process of surface planarization of glass in preparation for analysis is no exception. Water's general reactivity with silicate glasses has been well‐established, but under the typical conditions for mechanical polishing, the usual practical assumption is that the potential effects on measured mechanical properties are insignificant due to the short period of glass‐water interaction and the non‐extreme corrosive environment. On the contrary, in this study, it is shown that the act of polishing certain borosilicate glass compositions in an aqueous environment directly affects the nanomechanical response to several micrometers, reducing the measured elastic modulus and hardness by ~20% and ~35%, respectively. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) are used to confirm the formation of an altered, hydrated surface layer.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Mar 13, 2019
Source ID
10.1111/ijag.13108

Entities

People

  • Andrew A Wereszczak
  • B. Hackett
  • George M. Pharr

Organizations

  • Army Research Office
  • Oak Ridge National Laboratory
  • University of Tennessee

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Materials science

Readers

  • Computational Modeling and Simulation
  • Materials Science and Engineering.
  • Nanocomposite Materials Science

Technology Areas

  • Microelectronics
  • Microelectronics - Graphene