Length-scale-dependent stress relief mechanisms in indium at high homologous temperatures

• Published in: Journal of materials research Vol. 36; no. 12; pp. 2444 - 2455
• Main Authors: Mallakpour, Fereshteh, Kasraie, Masoud, Herbert, Erik G., Phani, P. Sudharshan, Hackney, Stephen A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 28.06.2021; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Applied and Technical Physics; Biomaterials; Chemistry and Materials Science; Diffusion; Hardness; Homology; Indium; Inorganic Chemistry; Invited Paper; Lithium; Materials Engineering; Materials research; Materials Science; Morphology; Nanoindentation; Nanotechnology; Purity; Separators; Solid electrolytes; Stress relaxation
• ISSN: 0884-2914; 2044-5326
• DOI: 10.1557/s43578-021-00186-6

Nanoindentation and electron microscopy have been used to examine the length-scale-dependent stress relaxation mechanisms in well-annealed, high-purity indium at a homologous temperature of 0.69. The experimental methods, analysis, and observations serve as a stepping stone in identifying the stress relaxation mechanisms enabling the formation and growth of metallic dendrites originating at the buried interface between a metallic anode and a solid electrolyte separator. Indium’s load–displacement data are found to be very similar to that of high-purity lithium. Residual hardness impressions show two distinct surface morphologies. Based on these morphologies, the measured hardness, and the estimated pile-up volume, it is proposed that residual impressions exhibiting significant pile-up are the result of deformation dominated by interface diffusion. Alternatively, impressions with no significant pile-up are taken to be the result of shear-driven dislocation glide. An analytical model is presented to rationalize the pile-up profile using interface diffusion.