Nanoindentation has become an increasingly popular method to determine the mechanical properties of both homogeneous and heterogeneous materials. Rocks are inherently heterogeneous and understanding their mechanical properties is of vital importance for relevant engineering applications. Due to its high precision and resolution in both force and displacement, nanoindentation can be utilized to extract the localized mechanical properties of individual grains. This review paper presents an overview of applications of nanoindentation techniques in various rocks, such as shale, coal, limestone, marble, sandstone and claystone. Apart from the conventional mechanical parameters, i.e., Young’s modulus and hardness, other parameters, such as fracture toughness, time-dependent creep and tensile strength can also be obtained using nanoindentation methods. Basic equations and parameters employed to obtain the above mechanical parameters are clearly explained. In addition, merits and demerits of previous nanoindentation studies are summarised and roadmap for future trends of nanoindentation in geomaterials are suggested.

纳米压痕已经成为确定均质和非均质材料机械性能的一种越来越流行的方法。岩石天生具有异质性，因此了解岩石的机械特性对于相关工程应用至关重要。由于其在力和位移方面的高精度和分辨率，纳米压痕可用于提取单个晶粒的局部机械性能。这篇综述论文概述了纳米压痕技术在各种岩石中的应用，例如页岩，煤，石灰石，大理石，砂岩和粘土。除了常规的机械参数，即杨氏模量和硬度，还可以使用纳米压痕方法获得其他参数，例如断裂韧性，随时间变化的蠕变和拉伸强度。明确说明了用于获得上述机械参数的基本方程式和参数。此外，总结了以前的纳米压痕研究的优缺点，并提出了土工材料中纳米压痕未来趋势的路线图。