A method of measuring fracture strength of a superabsorbent polymer in order to predict a generation amount of fine powder is provided. Effects of many different treatments for increasing strength of the superabsorbent polymer may be evaluated by measuring a force at a time point when single particles having a uniform particle size of the superabsorbent polymer are fractured by pressurizing the particles at a constant rate within a predetermined range.

A self-healing method for fractured SiC single crystal nanowires. A hair in a Chinese brush pen of yellow weasel's hair moves and transfers nanowires, which are placed on an in-situ TEM mechanical microtest apparatus. An in-situ nanomechanical tension test is realized. The nanowires are loaded. Displacement is 0-200 nm. Fracture strength of the single crystal nanowires is 12-15 GPa. After the nanowires are fractured, unloading causes slight contact between the fractured end surfaces, electron beam is shut off, and self-healing of the nanowires is conducted in a vacuum chamber. Partial recrystallization is found at a fracture after self-healing through in-situ TEM representation. A fracture strength test is conducted again after self-healing. A fractured position after healing is the same as the position before healing. The fracture strength of the single crystal nanowires after self-healing is 1-2.5 GPa. The recovery ratio of the fracture strength is 10-20%.

The present invention provides a method for moving and transferring nanowires using tapered hair of diameter in micron range. The nanowires have a diameter of 60-150 nm. The tapered hair has a diameter of 1-100 m, a tip curvature radius of 0.8-3 m and a length of 4-10 mm. A plastic film on a copper grid used for a TEM is removed, the copper grid is reserved, and holes have a diameter of 50-100 m. The copper grid after ultrasonic cleaning gains the nanowires from the acetone liquid with ultrasonic dispersed nanowires. The copper grid with distributed nanowires and the tapered hair are respectively placed on mobile platforms of two different optical microscopes. Millimeter movement and micron movement of the tapered hair are realized, thereby realizing movement and transfer operation for the nanowires. The tip of the tapered hair is dipped in a small drop of conductive silver epoxy, and the conductive silver epoxy is respectively dropped on both ends of the nanowires; and the radius of the dropped conductive silver epoxy is 4-8 m. The present invention realizes a method for moving and transferring nanowires using tapered hair through the mobile platforms of the two optical microscopes.

A nanometer cutting depth high-speed single-point scratch test device includes a workbench, an air-bearing turntable, a test piece fixture, a test piece, a Z-direction feeding device, a nano positioning stage, a force sensor and a scratch tool. A micro convex structure with controllable length and height is machined in a position of the test piece to be scratched.

An atomic-force-microscope-based apparatus and method including hardware and software, configured to collect, in a dynamic fashion, and analyze data representing mechanical properties of soft materials on a nanoscale, to map viscoelastic properties of a soft-material sample. The use of the apparatus as an addition to the existing atomic-force microscope device.

The present invention provides a self-healing method for fractured SiC amorphous nanowires. A goat hair in a Chinese brush pen of goat hair moves and transfers single crystal nanowires under an optical microscope. On an in-situ nanomechanical test system of a TEM, local single crystal nanowires are irradiated with an electron beam for conducting amorphization transformation. Amorphous length of a single crystal after transformation is 60-100 nm. A fracture strength test is conducted on the amorphous nanowires in the single crystal after transformation in the TEM; and fracture strength of the amorphous nanowires is 9-11 GPa. After the amorphous nanowires are fractured, unloading causes a slight contact between the fractured end surfaces; and self-healing of the nanowires is conducted after waiting for 16-25 min in a vacuum chamber of the TEM. Atom diffusion is found at a healed fracture through in-situ TEM representation; and recrystallization is found in the amorphous nanowires. The present invention provides a method for realizing self-healing for fractured SiC amorphous nanowires without external intervention.

A rock sample is nano-indented from a surface of the rock sample to a specified depth less than a thickness of the rock sample. While nano-indenting, multiple depths from the surface to the specified depth and multiple loads applied to the sample are measured. From the multiple loads and the multiple depths, a change in load over a specified depth is determined, using which an energy associated with nano-indenting rock sample is determined. From a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) image of the nano-indented rock sample, an indentation volume is determined responsive to nano-indenting, and, using the volume, an energy density is determined. It is determined that the energy density associated with the rock sample is substantially equal to energy density of a portion of a subterranean zone in a hydrocarbon reservoir. In response, the physical properties of the rock sample are assigned to the portion of the subterranean zone.

There is provided a microscope comprising a micromanipulator, comprising a first electromagnet comprising a first magnetic core; a second electromagnet comprising a second magnetic core, wherein the first magnetic core and the second magnetic core are configured to generate a magnetic force on magnetic probes arranged within a biological matrix arranged in between the first magnetic core and the second magnetic core; and wherein the microscope comprises imaging means configured to capture images of the biological matrix comprising the magnetic probes for detection of displacements of the magnetic probes caused by the magnetic force.

An atomic-force-microscope-based apparatus and method including hardware and software, configured to collect, in a dynamic fashion, and analyze data representing mechanical properties of soft materials on a nanoscale, to map viscoelastic properties of a soft-material sample. The use of the apparatus as an addition to the existing atomic-force microscope device.

An indentation head system for an indentation instrument includes: an indenter tip contacting a sample surface along at least an indentation axis; a reference element supporting the tip; a zero-level sensor generating a signal indicating whether the tip is displaced with respect to the reference element from a neutral relative position; an elastic element between the tip and an actuator with known elongation, the actuator connected to the reference element; and a controller receiving signals from the zero-level sensor to perform servo control of the actuator based on output of the zero-level sensor and the known elongation of the actuator so the zero-level sensor outputs a signal corresponding to a substantially zero displacement of the tip from the neutral relative position, the controller calculating a force applied by the tip to the sample based on an output of the displacement sensor and an elastic coefficient of the elastic element.