Understanding the Deformation of Soot Particles/Agglomerates in a Dynamic Contact: TEM In Situ Compression and Shear Experiments
Résumé
This work investigates the effect of compression and sliding on diesel soot in a confined space. Experiments were conducted in a high-resolution transmission electron microscope equipped with an in situ nanoindenter mounted with a truncated diamond tip to manipulate single soot particles and agglomerates. It was shown that both, agglomerates and single particles, were quite resistant to load. Agglomerates did not break during the compression tests; instead, partially reversible compaction of the particles to fill the free space was witnessed, proving that strong cohesive forces exist between the soot particles. The primary particles exhibited good elastic behavior under compression, and the agglomerates mirrored this behavior. Sliding tests have shown the ability of both the agglomerates and single primary particles to roll in the contact zone. This work showed that diesel soot is highly resilient to stress.