Nanoindentation and plasticity in nanocrystalline Ni nanowires: A case study in size effect mitigation

We examine the processes of spherical indentation and tension in Ni nanowires and thin films containing random distributions of nanoscale grains by molecular dynamics simulations. It is shown that the resistance to nanoindentation of nanocrystalline Ni nanowires with diameters of 12 and 30 nm tends not to depend on the wire diameter and free surfaces, contrary to nanoindentation in single-crystalline nanowires. Accommodation of plastic deformation by grain boundary sliding suggests a mitigation strategy for sample boundary effects in nanoscale plasticity. (C) 2010 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.