High-resolution measurements of pressure solution creep

Two dilatometers with high precision and stability have been developed for measurement of indentation by pressure solution creep. The indentation of gold wires or glass cylinders into sodium chloride has been measured with down to 10 Angstrom accuracy and 6% precision. The indentation curves show a strong history dependence and the indentation rate decreases by three orders of magnitude over 400 h. The indentation mechanism is shown to be a pressure solution creep process in which material is dissolved at the indentor-sodium chloride contacts and transported to the free surface, where it precipitates in the proximity of the indentors. The indentation rates are not controlled by precipitation rates, the density of preexisting dislocations in the material, by change in the contact widths, or by ordinary plastic deformation. Small amplitude sinusoidal variations of temperature and normal stress are shown to have a large effect on the indentation rate. Moreover, sudden increase in normal stress from the indentor on the sodium chloride is shown to initiate an increased, time-dependent indentation rate. A model for pressure solution creep with time-dependent contact sizes explains the history dependence of the indentation data presented.