Assessment of advanced joint Hfb2/Nib/Hfb2 by nanoindentation

An advanced metal-ceramic brazing joint HfB2/NiB/HfB2, especially suitable for aerospace and energy applications, was subjected to instrumented nanoindentation at room temperature. A Berkovich pyramidal tip was utilized, with a prescribed maximum load equal to 200 mN, generating measured depths around one micrometer. By repeating the indentation experiments over a regular grid in a neighborhood of the joint, insights were provided into the mechanical properties of different phases and their spatial variability after the joining process, suggesting the possible infiltration of the braze and even the presence of residual stress fields.