Anton Paar announces the launch of the UNHT³ HTV, the nanoindentation device designed for testing at temperatures up to 800 °C, based on Anton Paar’s longstanding experience in nanoindentation testing. The heart of the UNHT³ HTV is based on the highly successful and patented Ultra Nanoindentation Tester (UNHT). The measurement head has been optimized for high-temperature operation and combined with a patent-pending sample stage which enables measurements to be performed at any temperature within the operating range with the highest possible thermal stability. Such measurements are of particular interest to people studying:

•            Discrete events under the indenter tip at elevated temperatures, e.g. elastic-plastic transition in crystals, shear band formation in metallic glasses, onset of oxidation in ceramics

•            Hardness and elastic modulus at high temperatures

•            Effects of oxidation, especially in metals

•            Dislocation nucleation, which is best probed at very shallow indentation depths

•            Mechanical properties of coatings which are to be used at elevated temperatures, as well as the effects of candidate elements which might be added to optimize strength and fracture toughness (e.g. transition metals or silicon)

•            Micropillar compression testing at high temperatures to generate compressive yield or failure stress and observe deformation mechanism changes such as buckling, fracture or plastic deformation

•            Creep properties of engineering materials at different temperatures

•            Effects of temperature on polymers below and above their glass transition temperature (Tg)

The UNHT³ HTV has been developed from the ground up specifically for dedicated high-temperature indentation, thus setting it apart from standard nanoindentation testers with a bolted-on heating stage. UNHT³ HTV incorporates a complete high-vacuum system with buffering (to minimize pump vibration), water cooling of the measurement head and sample stage, as well as six thermocouples for managing the temperature of the sample in the most controlled manner.

Convenient location of the test area is enabled by the integrated optical microscope which comes with long–working-distance objectives. The motorized precision table enables movements in the X, Y and Z directions for the ideal positioning of the sample. A wide range of indenter geometries and materials (diamond, tungsten carbide, sapphire, etc.) are available to suit most applications.

Whatever your interest in the high-temperature mechanical properties of materials, Anton Paar’s UNHT³ HTV is the right tool for you.