Direct observation of electron-beam-induced densification and hardening of silica nanoballs by in situ transmission electron microscopy and finite element method simulations

[Display omitted] We report on the use of in situ transmission electron microscopy techniques and finite element method simulations to study the influence of electron beam irradiation on the deformation behavior and mechanical properties of nanoscale amorphous silica balls. We show that, on the nano...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Acta materialia 2014-10, Vol.79, p.363-373
Main Authors: Mačković, M., Niekiel, F., Wondraczek, L., Spiecker, E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amorphous silica
Applied sciences
Computer simulation
Densification
Electron beams
Electron-beam-induced densification
Exact sciences and technology
FEM
Finite element method
In situ TEM
Irradiation
Mathematical analysis
Mechanical testing
Metals. Metallurgy
Nanostructure
Silicon dioxide
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:[Display omitted] We report on the use of in situ transmission electron microscopy techniques and finite element method simulations to study the influence of electron beam irradiation on the deformation behavior and mechanical properties of nanoscale amorphous silica balls. We show that, on the nanometer scale, electron beam irradiation of silica results in athermal densification and simultaneous material hardening. It is demonstrated how the amount of densification can be controlled via the irradiation dose, using specific beam current densities inside a transmission electron microscope. The electron-beam-induced densification is interpreted as the direct reason for the observed hardening effect. Finite element method simulations are used to model the mechanical response of the silica balls, confirming that the intrinsic properties (such as the Young’s modulus) of amorphous silica can be tailored with the electron beam on the nanoscale.
ISSN:1359-6454
1873-2453
DOI:10.1016/j.actamat.2014.05.046