Viscoelastic properties of wood materials characterized by nanoindentation experiments

The viscoelastic properties of the cell wall of the tropic hardwood Carapa procera are investigated by means of nanoindentation tests. Three types of nanoindentation tests are undertaken: creep, continuous stiffness measurement (CSM) and nanoscale dynamic mechanical analysis (Nano-DMA), corresponding to the increased loading rate and so the response of wood cell wall to the loading in a relatively large time scale. It is found that the creep rate is dependent on the applied stress and the relation can be described by the rule of power law. Regarding the dynamic properties (i.e., storage modulus and damping coefficient) in the frequency range of 10–240?Hz, it is shown that the storage modulus increases monotonically, while the damping coefficient decreases. By using the traditional dynamic mechanical thermal analysis as a reference method, the phase transition behavior of wood cell wall can be successfully characterized by the Nano-DMA in a large frequency scale. A dependence of the storage modulus and damping coefficient on the penetration depth is quantified by the CSM tests.