Patent ID: 7480575

Claim:
Method for detecting mechanical features of a material, in particular a metal material, characterised in that it comprises the following steps: prearranging an indenter suitable for penetrating in a material to analyse for a measurable depth (h) with a measurable force (P); creating a database comprising a finite number of reference curves (P,h) reproducing the trend of the applied force (P) responsive to the penetration depth (h), said database being built starting from values of yield stress (σ sn ) and strain-hardening coefficient (n) for a determined number of materials for which said values are known; carrying out an indentation test on a sample to analyse by said indenter through detecting and recording the values of force (P) and depth (h) at a plurality of successive instants during the penetration of said instrument in the sample, obtaining a succession of couples of determined values (P,h) for each measuring step; analysing the succession of couples of determined values (P,h) and selecting from said database of at least one of said reference curves (P,h); displaying the values of the parameters of interest, in particular, elastic modulus (E), strain-hardening coefficient (n) and yield stress (σ sn ) corresponding to said or each reference curve (P,h).