The Bioindentation Tester (BHT) from Anton Paar is used to examine the mechanical properties of a material at the micro- and nanoscale. It is especially suited for measurements of polymers, thin layer materials, patterned materials, soft tissues, and other biological samples. The BHT is a modified ultra nanoindenter that is optimized to the requirements of testing soft materials (down to 1 kPa and up to ~1 GPa).The indentation setup can apply forces of up to 20 mN with a resolution of 0.4 nN. The software is equipped with programming capabilities to automatically test multiple locations and samples, and will output stiffness, creep, and other relevant mechanical properties calculated based on the Oliver & Pharr method. Contact the Grande-Allen lab for help with specific applications.

System Specifications:

Indenter tips:  Metal flat punch, Ø500 μm ± 10 μm, Flatness < 0.2 μm Sphero-conical diamond, R = 200 μm/α = 90° Compatible with submerged samples Max depth of testing = 100 μm Z resolution = 0.003 nm Optical video microscope for sample visualization o   Objectives: 5x, 20x air o   Above- or below-sample illumination  Heated sample holder for biological or other thermosensitive applications (Temp ≤ 90°C)

You must have a FOM user account before you can be trained on this instrument.