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Simultaneous effect of grain size and indenter dimension on the dislocation nucleation and growth in nanoindentation and nanoscratch processes

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Abstract

Molecular dynamics simulations are employed to study dislocation movement and wear response of nanocrystalline nickel (Ni). To explore the coefficient of friction values within the range near the Hall–Patch breakdown, samples were prepared with grain sizes ranging from 3.5 to 9.2 nm. Through the simulating a nanoscratching process using a spherical indenter, the concurrent influence of indenter dimensions and grain sizes on the friction coefficient of nanocrystalline Ni is examined. The results indicated that increasing the grain size and indenter dimension in nanocrystalline Ni led to a decrease in the coefficient of friction. Notably, the dimensions of the indenter had a more significant impact on the observed effects compared to the grain size. Also, it is observed that significant dislocation growth occurred during the scratching process when the indenter dimensions are large.

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  1. Mechanical Rotary Equipment Research Department, Niroo Research Institute (NRI), Tehran, Iran

    M. Chamani

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Chamani, M. Simultaneous effect of grain size and indenter dimension on the dislocation nucleation and growth in nanoindentation and nanoscratch processes. Eur. Phys. J. Plus 139, 426 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/s13360-024-05251-7

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