Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference:	GR/L27084/01
Title:	THE STUDY OF THE PLASTICITY OF DIAMOND AND DIAMOND RELATED MATERIALS
Principal Investigator:	Brookes, Dr E
Other Investigators:	Brookes, Professor C
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:	DTC Research Centre
Department:	Engineering
Organisation:	University of Hull
Scheme:	Standard Research (Pre-FEC)
Starts:	01 January 1997	Ends:	30 June 2000	Value (£):	158,313
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:	Materials Processing
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:	Construction
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Summary on Grant Application Form
This project proposes an innovative programme to measure the mechanical properties of diamond and diamond related materials. The soft impression methods, whereby controlled levels of plastic strain are developed under single point contacts, will be used to provide essential information on hard covalent solids such as: the flow stress of polycrystalline materials; the critical resolved shear stress of different 'types' of diamond; a fatigue limit in the form of an effective S:N survey; strength and fracture data; impression creep behaviour monitoring dislocation mobility providing estimates of relevant activation energies. This work will be compared with results from conventional measurements and with other physical properties. Furthermore, it will specifically provide performance data for strength correlations with nitrogen defect concentrations. An improved understanding of the response of these materials to controlled pressure and temperature will permit the enhancement of performance and the modification of diamond surfaces. For example the development of localised cumulative strain may lead to optimisation of mechanical properties. Creep effects will also be studied, both in the low temperature regime where the critical resolved shear stress of covalent materials is highly temperature dependent and in the high temperature regime where the critical resolved shear stress is controlled by slip.
Key Findings
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Potential use in non-academic contexts
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Impacts
Description This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk Summary Date Materialised
Sectors submitted by the Researcher
This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
Project URL:
Further Information:
Organisation Website:	http://www.hull.ac.uk