A heated or cooled sample holding stage for use in a nanoindentation measurement system is described. The geometry of the design and the selection of materials minimizes movement of a sample holder with respect to a nanoindentation tip over a wide range of temperatures. The system controls and minimizes motion of the sample holder due to the heating or cooling of the tip holder and/or the sample holder in a high temperature nanoindentation system. This is achieved by a combination of geometry, material selection and multiple sources and sinks of heat. The system is designed to control both the steady state and the transient displacement response.

The present invention refers to a hardness tester provided with a rotating measuring head, a first rotating device and a second rotating device, wherein said rotating measuring head is secured to said rotating device and is capable of rotating with respect to it, and wherein said first rotating device and said second rotating device are secured to each other and inclined with respect to each other.

In this way, thanks to the combination of the two angles of the rotating devices with respect to the rotating measuring head, the head itself is allowed to rotate in space with an infinite variety of angles. It is thus possible to carry out tests both above and along the sides of the pieces to be tested, and also on each inclined point, in practice, with a three-dimensional system.

In particular, the hardness tester is equipped with a slide provided with a stroke on which the rotating measuring head is mounted and with a first motor capable of activating the movement of the slide.

In the present invention, the rotating head is moved so as to reach any point of the piece to be measured.

In this way, the problem of having to move the pieces to be measured, often extremely heavy and bulky, remaining instead stationary, is solved.

A test apparatus includes a container 2, a sample 12 and metal bodies 13 and 14 which are immersed in a solution 11 in the container 2, a jig 3, an ammeter 16, and a voltmeter 17. The sample 12, the metal body 13, and the metal body 14 are made of the same metal material and have the same surface area. While pressing the jig 3 rotating relative to the sample 12 against a surface of the sample 12, a current between the sample 12 and the metal body 13 is measured by the ammeter 16, and a voltage between the metal body 13 and the metal body 14 is measured by the voltmeter 17.

A test apparatus includes a container 2, a sample 12 and metal bodies 13 and 14 which are immersed in a solution 11 in the container 2, a jig 3, an ammeter 16, and a voltmeter 17. The sample 12, the metal body 13, and the metal body 14 are made of the same metal material and have the same surface area. While pressing the jig 3 rotating relative to the sample 12 against a surface of the sample 12, a current between the sample 12 and the metal body 13 is measured by the ammeter 16, and a voltage between the metal body 13 and the metal body 14 is measured by the voltmeter 17.

The invention relates to an arrangement and to a method for the synchronous determination of the shear modulus and of the Poisson's number on samples of elastically isotropic and anisotropic materials. In the arrangement, an indenter is movable in parallel with its longitudinal axis (A) in the direction of the surface of a sample such that a force action is exerted on the material by its tip. The force can be determined by a device for measuring this force and the indenter is additionally deflected in translation along at least one further axis. The longitudinal axis (A) of the indenter is aligned at an angle 90 with respect to the surface of the sample and the indenter carries out an upward movement and a downward movement. In this respect, a device is present for calculating the shear modulus G and the Poisson's number v from the contact stiffness k determined in this manner, from the acting normal force P, from the indentation modulus M.sub.S and from the shear modulus-related parameter N.sub.S of the sample while taking account of the respective angle .

The invention relates to an arrangement and to a method for the synchronous determination of the shear modulus and of the Poisson's number on samples of elastically isotropic and anisotropic materials. In the arrangement, an indenter is movable in parallel with its longitudinal axis (A) in the direction of the surface of a sample such that a force action is exerted on the material by its tip. The force can be determined by a device for measuring this force and the indenter is additionally deflected in translation along at least one further axis. The longitudinal axis (A) of the indenter is aligned at an angle 90 with respect to the surface of the sample and the indenter carries out an upward movement and a downward movement. In this respect, a device is present for calculating the shear modulus G and the Poisson's number v from the contact stiffness k determined in this manner, from the acting normal force P, from the indentation modulus M.sub.S and from the shear modulus-related parameter N.sub.S of the sample while taking account of the respective angle .

A method for imaging three-dimensional topography with high precision, which overcomes the disadvantage and deficiency of low precision in observing three-dimensional topography of hydraulically fractured cracks of rocks, improve the precision in observing three-dimensional topography of cracks in rock hydraulic fracturing test, and benefit for scientifically understanding regular pattern of development of hydraulically fractured cracks of rocks. The technical solution comprises: hydraulically fracturing the rock with aqueous solution containing fluorine nuclides; forming hydraulically fractured cracks; in the process of fracturing, loading a fracturing apparatus while rotating the same; emitting an x-ray beam from an x-ray source, which penetrates the rock and reaches a CT detector; optical signals transmitted by the fluorine nuclides inside the rock being received by a high resolution planar array SiPM detector for nuclides; performing image fusion of nuclides tomographic scanning data and CT data to implement high precision imaging for three-dimensional topography of cracks in rocks.

A method for continuous measuring of hardness in subterranean formation material includes pressing the tip of an indenter in an indentation assembly against the surface of formation material with a prescribed force; creating an indentation; measuring the applied force and/or the depth of the indentation; moving at least one of the indenter across the surface of the material, the material across the surface of the indenter, and combinations thereof, with constant axial force applied to the tip of the indenter to create an indentation path; and measuring applied force, indenter displacement, and lateral displacement while the indenter is creating the indention path, wherein the applied force, indenter displacement, and lateral displacement are used to determine the continuous hardness of the formation material. An apparatus includes a specimen table and an indention assembly including an indention tip. Another apparatus includes a tool body with caliper arms and an indention assembly.

A method for continuous measuring of hardness in subterranean formation material includes pressing the tip of an indenter in an indentation assembly against the surface of formation material with a prescribed force; creating an indentation; measuring the applied force and/or the depth of the indentation; moving at least one of the indenter across the surface of the material, the material across the surface of the indenter, and combinations thereof, with constant axial force applied to the tip of the indenter to create an indentation path; and measuring applied force, indenter displacement, and lateral displacement while the indenter is creating the indention path, wherein the applied force, indenter displacement, and lateral displacement are used to determine the continuous hardness of the formation material. An apparatus includes a specimen table and an indention assembly including an indention tip. Another apparatus includes a tool body with caliper arms and an indention assembly.

A method for the analysis of surface measurements, in particular scratch tests, wear tests or profilometric measurements, wherein a graph with displayable curves in the form of measuring curves of already analyzed results with an X-axis as a coordinate axis along a measuring path is laid over a live image or subsequently over a stored image of the measuring section such that the X-coordinates in the image coincide with the X-coordinates of the curves.