CLSM-AFM microscopy system for 3D-characterisation of material properties

• Subject Area: Materials Engineering
• Term: Funded in 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 544699841

Understanding the topographical features of structural materials is critical because they profoundly affect their mechanical properties. Surface features play a key role in determining how materials respond to external forces and environmental conditions. Since fatigue cracks typically origin at surface defects such as in- and extrusions, scratches and pores, inclusions and corrosion pits, leading to stress concentration and crack initiation, the surface becomes a limiting factor for service life of components. In the context of the research initiative multidisciplinary studies involving intermittent testing and correlative microscopy will be performed to bridge the gap between mechanical characterisation, numerical simulations, and the interrelation to microstructure, topography and physical surface properties. Based on the research initiative, materials characterisation capabilities are enhanced by applying for a confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) combined with an integrated atomic force microscope (AFM). With the CLSM-AFM microscopy system, it will be possible to perform detailed analyses of the surfaces of metals, ceramics, polymers and biomaterials on 3D-scales from nano- to micro- to macroscale to investigate properties such as topography, roughness and corrosion and their effects on various mechanical properties such as strength, fatigue properties and crack propagation mechanisms for various materials. The system also enables artefact-free, non-contact topographical analysis of surfaces and the transfer of the data obtained to numerical simulations. This data can then be used in simulation approaches to correlate the mechanical behaviour with surface properties and, based on this, create lifetime prediction models. This will enable researchers to analyse and simulate material responses under different conditions and to establish a link between the crack propagation mechanisms and models for predicting crack propagation through fracture surface analysis. Overall, this will facilitate the development of robust and reliable material designs.

• DFG Programme: Major Research Instrumentation
• Major Instrumentation: CLSM-AFM-Mikroskopiesystem zur 3D-Charakterisierung von Werkstoffeigenschaften
• Instrumentation Group: 5090 Spezialmikroskope
• Applicant Institution: Technische Universität Dortmund
• Leader: Professor Dr.-Ing. Frank Walther