Abstract
Quasi-static indentation has become a widely used test for assessing mechanical properties and plastic response of materials. While the deformation field around an indentation has been extensively studied using analytical and computational methods, direct measurements of plastic strain field around an indenter are few and far between. A Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) technique for direct measurement of deformation field in planestrain indentation is demonstrated. A lead sample is indented with a flat-punch indenter under plane strain conditions. The region around the indentation is imaged in situ during indentation using a Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) imaging system. By applying the PIV technique to the image sequences, characteristics of the deformation field such as velocity of material flow and strain rate are mapped at high spatial resolution. Extensions of the present work will encompass quantitative analysis of the deformation field with respect to indentation models, indentation scaling behavior, and friction at the indenter-sample contact, in plane strain indentation with wedge and cylindrical indenters.