Improved reverse analysis for material characterization with dual sharp indenters

It was illustrated by the author in the previous work that combinations between material properties and indentation parameters can be used as mixed parameters in dimensionless functions to capture the indentation response of materials to single and dual sharp indenters. These issues are further extended in the present study. A parametric finite element analysis was performed to investigate the conical indentation response of elasto-plastic solids. Frictional effects are studied. Conical indenters of half-included angles from 50° to 88° are considered to examine several fundamental features of instrumented sharp indentation within the frame work of limit analysis. Regarding dimensional analysis, it is found that a Taylor series expansion according to the elastic indentation work-total indentation work ratio We/Wt can be used to improve dimensionless functions. Within this context, a new set of dimensionless functions is explicitly constructed for hardness and indentation parameters of single and dual indenters. Based on formulated functions, a reverse analysis with dual sharp indenters, which was previously proposed by the author, is improved to extract mechanical properties of materials.