Journal Articles Materials & Design Year : 2025

Combined nanoindentation and SEM imaging for phase quantification and creep prediction of cementitious materials

Abstract

The present article introduces a novel and rapid method for processing nanoindentation data using SEM image analysis, called Auto-NI-SEM (Automatic NanoIndentation-Scanning Electron Microscopy). The originality of the method lies in the exploitation of micromechanical data, coupled with image analysis, by developing a suitable automatic deconvolution method. The method leads to a rapid phase quantification of cement paste phases along with their elastic and viscoelastic properties, essential for accurate prediction of macroscopic properties. The results were validated on cement pastes with different water-to-cement (w/c) ratios. Furthermore, the method w