A computational study on the instrumented sharp indentations with dual indenters

Finite element analysis was performed to investigate the indentation response of elasto-plastic solids for conical indenters of half included angles of 60° and 70.3°. The interdependence indentation parameters resulting from a single indentation load–depth curve is considered. Regarding dimensional analysis, several dimensionless relationships are constructed as functions of the reduced elastic modulus-loading curvature ratio E∗/C and the strain hardening exponent n. Further, the duality between corresponding parameters with dual indenters is explored. Finally, a new method based on dual indenters is proposed to extract the strain hardening exponent and the reduced elastic modulus of an indented material. The accuracy of this method is verified and discussed with experimental data from the literature and representative materials.