High Temperature

High temperature publications 2024

Application Notes

The mechanical properties of materials are almost without exception, strongly temperature dependent.  Many major advances in technology have been achieved by developing materials which can offer sufficient performance at greatly elevated temperatures, classic examples being superalloys which are key to modern jet aviation, cutting tools for high speed machining, and materials for current and future energy generation including nuclear fusion. 


All these examples have one thing in common and that it that the mechanical properties are achieved through nanometre to micron length scale materials science. Microstructural design and control, surface modifications, and the use of thin PVD and CVD coatings are all commonly used technologies to achieve specific objectives. In order to fully understand and accelerate development, the ability to study these small-scale features and structures at application specific temperatures is essential.


The NanoTest™ Vantage™ offers the researcher an unrivalled suite of high temperature testing capabilities including indentation, scratch and wear testing, impact testing and small scale tribological techniques.

image showing independent heating of sample and indenter to achieve low rate of thermal drift

Independent heating of the sample and the indenter is essential in achieving low rates of thermal drift. The hot zone is thermally isolated from the rest of the instrument to minimise the time between starting heating and staring testing. Sensors are located well outside of the path of convected or radiated heat contributing greatly to the inherent stability of NanoTest™ instruments at elevated temperature.


A sample mounting area of 16 x 16 mm2 is available, allowing larger or multiple samples to be mounted and tested at once.


Both the sample and indenter are actively and independently heated to achieve isothermal contact and the best possible methodology for elimination of thermal drift and thus the most reliable test data.

image of indentation at high temperature
nanoindention curve demonstrating inherent thermal stability of NanoTest nanoindenter

The inherent thermal stability of NanoTest™ instruments, along with patented temperature control methodologies and highly flexible experiment design possibilities make it the go-to solution for high temperature nanoindentation. 


A wide range of indenter materials is available to allow testing of almost any material. In this example the sample material is tungsten which will dissolve a diamond indenter at elevated temperature. Instead, a c-BN indenter is used.


All test modes; indentation, scratch / wear, and impact testing are possible at elevated temperature, allowing high temperature property characterisation and the lab-scale replication of the widest range of real-world contact conditions. 


This example focuses on the responses of two cutting tool coatings to repetitive impact at 300 °C and 600 °C. Prediction of temperature-dependent behaviour from room temperature data can be unreliable and testing at application specific temperatures can greatly accelerate material development.

image showing impact test on cutting tool coatings at 300 and 600 degrees Centrigrade using NanoTest instrument 4 indents on cutting tool coatings a
image showing von Mises stress distribution maps using output data from nanoindentation and nano-scratch tests performed using a NanoTest Vantage

Scratch testing at application specific conditions can reveal major differences in how material systems respond to highly loaded sliding contact versus room temperature.


The NanoTest™ Vantage™ software is able to directly interface with a suite of packages from Saxonian Institute of Surface Mechanics. In this example Von Mises stress distributions maps have been created using output data from nanoindentation and nano-scratch tests from a NanoTest™ Vantage™. Note how the overloaded zones shifts from the substrate at room temperature to the coating at 500 °C. This helps us understand the differences in failure modes as temperature increases. 


Nanomechanical testing to 1000 °C

Application Notes

High temperature micro-scratch and impact

Technical Notes

High temperature creep resistance

Application Notes

Nuclear materials

Application Notes