Abstract
A micro-indentation test is useful for evaluating mechanical properties of a microstructure. However, because the measurement values are very small, there are some significant error factors. The influences of some factors, a compliance of a measurement device, a tip shape of an indenter, a contact area change during unloading, a change of an indentation shape, a work-hardened layer, a strain rate, a surface roughness and a change of a temperature were investigated with experiments and 2- or 3-dimensional finite element analyses. The work-hardened surface which was made by mechanical polishing changes the properties of a non-worked material. It is important to improve Young's modulus and a hardness estimation by changing the calculated value to the measured value. In order to evaluate properties of a material accurately, an electropolishing is needed after mechanical polishing. The strain rate expands the hardness and changes Young's modulus. The surface roughness makes the measurement value dispersed because the first contact height is changed variously. Measuring Young's modulus is more sensitive to the change of the temperature than measuring the hardness.
