Nanoindentation testing has been used for decades to assess materials on a local scale and to obtain fundamental mechanical property parameters. Nuclear materials research often faces the challenge of testing rather small samples due to the hazardous nature, limited space in reactors, and shallow ion-irradiated zones, fostering the need for small-scale mechanical testing (SSMT). As such, correlating the results from SSMT to bulk properties is particularly of interest. This study compares macroscopic tensile test data (yield and flow stresses) to nanoindentation data (hardness) obtained on a number of different neutron-irradiated materials in order to understand the scaling behavior on radiation-damaged samples.

纳米压痕测试已经被使用了数十年，以评估局部规模的材料并获得基本的机械性能参数。由于危险性，反应堆空间有限以及离子辐照区较浅，核材料研究通常面临测试相当小的样品的挑战，这引发了对小规模机械测试（SSMT）的需求。因此，将SSMT的结果与整体性质关联起来尤其令人感兴趣。这项研究将宏观拉伸试验数据（屈服应力和流动应力）与在许多不同的中子辐照材料上获得的纳米压痕数据（硬度）进行了比较，以了解在辐射损伤样品上的结垢行为。