JP5883231B2 - Sample cooling device, hardness tester, and hardness test method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a sample cooling device, a hardness tester, and a hardness test method.

  Conventionally, pressure vessels, which are the main structures of light water reactors installed in nuclear power plants, etc., are known to progress in the embrittlement of steel materials that form pressure vessels when irradiated with neutrons during operation. . This phenomenon is called “irradiation embrittlement” and is taken up as one of the major aging events in the nuclear reactor.

  In general, paying attention to the fact that such embrittlement is an index indicating a change in temperature dependence of mechanical properties, a technique for evaluating embrittlement from the temperature dependence of hardness has been studied. In particular, as an effective method for evaluating embrittlement, it has been studied to evaluate embrittlement from a change in temperature dependence of hardness at low temperatures.

Akiyoshi Nomoto, Kenji Nishida, Kenji Toi, Naoki Soneda "Fundamental examination of irradiation embrittlement monitoring method for light water reactor pressure vessel steel by hardness test" Report by the Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry: Q08024 December 2009

  However, the above prior art has a problem that it is difficult to perform a hardness test in a stable low temperature environment. This problem does not occur only in the steel material of the pressure vessel, but similarly occurs in the hardness test for various samples that cause embrittlement with hardening.

  This invention is made in view of the above, Comprising: It aims at providing the sample cooling device which can implement a hardness test in the stable low-temperature environment, a hardness tester, and a hardness test method. .

In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, a sample cooling apparatus according to the present invention includes a sample stage that is a heat storage member that is installed in a hardness tester that measures the hardness of a sample and supports the sample. , accommodated and the sample being supported on the sample stage and the sample stage, and the housing part is a heat insulating member for pores greater than the upper surface of the sample is formed at a position upper surface facing the sample, wherein By inserting the hole in a state of being separated from the storage unit, by contacting the coolant to the lower part of the sample stage where the sample on the upper surface side is exposed outside the storage unit is placed on the upper part, It has a cooling part which cools a sample stand, and a temperature measurement part which measures the temperature of the sample supported by the sample stand cooled by the cooling part.

Further, the sample cooling device according to the present invention includes a sample stage that is a heat storage member that is installed in a hardness tester that measures the hardness of a sample and supports the sample, and the sample stage by cooling the sample stage. A cooling unit that cools the sample supported by the sample table, the sample table and the sample supported by the sample table are accommodated, and a hole larger than the upper surface of the sample is provided at a position facing the upper surface of the sample. formed a heat-insulating member possess a housing portion, said sample stage, a part of the upper surface side to the outside of the housing portion is exposed by inserting the hole in a state in which apart from the housing section the A sample is placed .

Further, the hardness tester according to the present invention is a hardness tester for measuring the hardness of a sample, the sample stage being a heat storage member installed in the hardness tester and supporting the sample, A storage unit that stores a sample stage and the sample supported by the sample stage, and is a heat insulating member in which a hole larger than the upper surface of the sample is formed at a position facing the upper surface of the sample; and the storage unit By passing the hole in a state of being separated from each other, the sample is exposed to a lower portion of the sample table on which the sample, which is partially exposed on the upper surface side outside the storage unit, is placed on the upper portion. And a temperature measuring unit for measuring the temperature of the sample supported by the sample stage cooled by the cooling unit.

Moreover, the hardness test method according to the present invention is a hardness test method using a hardness tester for measuring the hardness of a sample, and the hardness tester is a heat storage member that supports the sample. A storage unit that is a heat insulating member that stores a sample table, the sample table, and the sample supported by the sample table, and has a hole larger than the upper surface of the sample formed at a position facing the upper surface of the sample. In the hardness test method, the sample in which a part of the upper surface side is exposed to the outside of the storage part by inserting the hole in a state of being separated from the storage part is placed on the top. A cooling step for cooling the sample stage by bringing a refrigerant into contact with a lower part of the stage; a temperature measurement step for measuring the temperature of the sample supported by the sample stage cooled in the cooling step; and the temperature measurement Temperature of the sample measured in step Characterized in that it includes a hardness measurement step of measuring the hardness of the sample after reaching a predetermined temperature.

  The sample cooling device, the hardness tester, and the hardness test method according to the present invention have an effect that the hardness test can be performed in a stable low temperature environment.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a Vickers hardness tester according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the sample cooling unit in the embodiment. FIG. 3 is an exploded view showing a sample cooling section in the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a sample stage in the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a top view of the sample cooling unit in the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a flow of a Vickers hardness test performed by the Vickers hardness tester according to the present embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of cooling the bottom surface of the sample stage.

  Embodiments of a sample cooling device, a hardness tester, and a hardness test method according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, although the Example shown below demonstrates the example which measures the Vickers hardness of a sample, the sample cooling device which concerns on this invention, a hardness tester, and a hardness test method are limited by the following Examples. It is not a thing.

[Configuration of Vickers Hardness Tester According to this Example]
First, the configuration of the Vickers hardness tester according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a Vickers hardness tester according to the present embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the Vickers hardness tester 10 according to the present embodiment is placed on a tester support 20 and covered with an environmental hood 30. The environmental hood 30 will be described later.

  Further, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the Vickers hardness tester 10 includes a main body unit 11, an imaging unit 12, a turret 13, a stage 14, an operation receiving unit 15, a control unit 16, and a sample cooling unit. 100.

  The main body 11 is substantially C-shaped and supports each part of the Vickers hardness tester 10. Specifically, the main body 11 supports the imaging unit 12 on the upper upper side and supports the turret 13 on the lower lower side. Further, the main body 11 supports the stage 14 on the lower upper side.

  The imaging unit 12 images a recess formed in the sample S placed on the sample cooling unit 100 described later. The imaging unit 12 images the upper surface of the sample S via an objective lens 13b provided on the turret 13 described later. For example, the imaging unit 12 is a CCD (Charge-Coupled Device) camera or the like.

  The turret 13 is provided so as to be rotatable about an axis A perpendicular to the upper portion of the main body 11, and an indenter 13 a and an objective lens 13 b are provided on the lower side. Here, the indenter portion 13a is provided so as to protrude downward from the turret 13, and a square pyramid-shaped diamond is provided at the tip. Then, the turret 13 rotates about the axis A, thereby switching the position of the indenter portion 13a and the position of the objective lens 13b on the stage 14 described later.

  The sample cooling unit 100 is installed on the stage 14 and supports the sample S from below. The sample cooling unit 100 cools the sample S when the Vickers test is performed. In this embodiment, the sample cooling unit 100 cools the sample S so that the Vickers hardness at a low temperature can be measured. The configuration of the sample cooling unit 100 will be specifically described later.

  The stage 14 is provided on the lower upper side of the main body 11 so as to face the turret 13. The tip of the indenter 13 a can be pushed into the sample S by lowering the indenter 13 a toward the sample S in a state where the sample S is supported by the sample cooling unit 100 installed on the stage 14. it can. The stage 14 may be provided so as to be movable in the vertical direction by a driving unit provided in the main body 11. In such a case, the tip of the indenter 13 a can be pushed into the sample S placed on the sample cooling unit 100 by raising the stage 14.

  The operation receiving unit 15 receives various operation instructions for the Vickers hardness tester 10 from an operator, and operates each unit of the Vickers hardness tester 10 according to the received operation instructions. For example, when the operation receiving unit 15 receives an instruction to perform a Vickers hardness test from the operator, the operation receiving unit 15 in the main body unit 11 so that the tip of the indenter unit 13a is pushed into the sample S with a preset test load. The stage 14 is moved up by operating the driving unit provided in the stage. Moreover, the operation reception part 15 images the surface of the sample S by driving the imaging part 12, when the imaging instruction | indication is received from an operator. The operation receiving unit 15 is, for example, a button or a touch panel. 1 shows an example in which the operation reception unit 15 is provided in the main body unit 11, the operation reception unit 15 may be realized by the control unit 16.

  The control unit 16 is an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer, receives various instructions from the operator, and performs various processes related to the Vickers hardness test according to the received instructions. For example, the control unit 16 displays an image of the sample S captured by the imaging unit 12. In addition, the control unit 16 analyzes the image of the sample S imaged by the imaging unit 12 to measure the diagonal length of the depression formed in the sample S, and adds the measured diagonal length and the sample S. Vickers hardness is calculated from the magnitude of the applied load.

[Configuration of Sample Cooling Section in this Example]
Next, the sample cooling unit 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the sample cooling unit 100 in the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the sample cooling unit 100 in the present embodiment.

  As illustrated in FIG. 2, the sample cooling unit 100 includes a sample stage 110, a heater 120, a petri dish 130, a refrigerant injection pipe 140, a hood 150, and a frame 160. In addition, a temperature measuring unit 170 is connected to the sample S, and a temperature adjusting unit 180 is connected to the heater 120. In addition, each part which this sample cooling part 100 has has the intensity | strength which can endure a Vickers hardness test, respectively. The sample cooling unit 100 has a height direction of about 30 [mm] to 40 [mm] and a horizontal direction of about 100 [mm] to 150 [mm].

  The sample stage 110 is a heat storage member that can store heat, and is, for example, aluminum. The sample stage 110 supports the sample S via the heater 120. Specifically, the sample stage 110 supports the heater 120 on which the sample S is placed.

  Further, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the sample stage 110 in the present embodiment is formed in a convex shape in which the lower part is larger than the upper part where the sample S is placed via the heater 120. In FIG. 4, the perspective view of the sample stand 110 in a present Example is shown. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the sample stage 110 in the present embodiment is a member having a shape (convex shape) in which a rectangular parallelepiped 112 having a shorter vertical and horizontal length than the rectangular parallelepiped 111 is disposed at the center of the upper surface of the rectangular parallelepiped 111. It is. Here, the shape of the sample stage 110 has been described separately for the rectangular parallelepiped 111 and the rectangular parallelepiped 112, but in actuality, the sample stage 110 is a single block (block) formed of aluminum or the like.

  In the following, as illustrated in FIG. 4, in the sample table 110, an area near the upper surface of the sample table 110 on which the heater 120 is placed is referred to as an upper part 110 a of the sample table 110, and The region other than the upper portion 110a is defined as a lower portion 110b of the sample stage 110.

  The heater 120 is a member having high thermal conductivity, and is placed on the top of the sample table 110 and supports the sample S. The heater 120 can transmit the heat of the sample stage 110 to the sample S, or can generate heat to heat the sample S. For example, when the sample stage 110 is cooled, the heater 120 cools the sample S by being approximately the same temperature as the temperature of the sample stage 110. In addition, the heater 120 changes the temperature at which the sample S is heated by being controlled by a temperature adjusting unit 180 described later. In addition, the heater 120 in the present embodiment is formed with a through hole through which a refrigerant injection pipe 140 described later passes.

  The petri dish 130 is a heat insulating member that suppresses heat conduction, and is, for example, ceramic. The petri dish 130 is formed in a concave shape and serves as a storage unit that stores the sample table 110. In the example shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the petri dish 130 is formed in a concave shape so that the bottom surface of the sample stage 110 is accommodated in the petri dish 130 with almost no gap.

  The refrigerant injection tube 140 cools the sample stage 110 by bringing the refrigerant into contact with the lower part 110 b of the sample stage 110. That is, the refrigerant injection tube 140 serves as a cooling unit that cools the sample stage 110. For example, the refrigerant injection tube 140 makes liquid nitrogen contact the lower part 110b of the sample stage 110 as a refrigerant.

  The refrigerant injection tube 140 in the present embodiment is configured such that the tip of the refrigerant injection tube 140 passes through a through hole formed in the heater 120, so that the lower part 110 b of the sample table 110 housed in the petri dish 130 and the petri dish 130 A space U11 formed between the inner wall and the inner wall is reached. The refrigerant injection tube 140 cools the lower part 110b of the sample stage 110 by injecting a refrigerant such as liquid nitrogen into the space U11 from the tip.

  In the example shown in FIG. 2, the refrigerant injection pipe 140 penetrates the heater 120 and the refrigerant is injected into the space U11. However, the refrigerant injection pipe 140 does not need to penetrate the heater 120. The refrigerant may be injected into the space U12 shown in FIG.

  The hood 150 is a transparent member formed in a concave shape, and is, for example, acrylic. The hood 150 is placed on the petri dish 130 so as to form a hollow space, and serves as a storage unit that stores the sample table 110, the heater 120, and the sample S. Specifically, as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the upper surface of the side wall of the petri dish 130 and the upper surface of the side wall of the hood 150 are in contact with the inner wall of the concave petri dish 130 and the concave hood 150 facing each other. When the hood 150 is placed on the petri dish 130, the petri dish 130 and the hood 150 store the sample table 110, the heater 120, and the sample S.

  The hood 150 has a hole 151 larger than the area of the upper surface of the sample S at a position facing the upper surface of the sample S when placed on the petri dish 130. In the example shown in FIG. 2, only the vicinity of the upper surface of the sample S is exposed upward from the hole 151 formed in the hood 150. FIG. 5 is a top view of the sample cooling unit 100 in this embodiment as viewed from the top. As shown in FIG. 5, a hole 151 larger than the upper surface area of the sample S is formed in the hood 150, and the sample S is exposed outside the region surrounded by the petri dish 130 and the hood 150 from the hole 151. Thereby, the indenter part 13a can be pushed into the sample S.

  The frame 160 supports the petri dish 130 and is placed on the stage 14. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the frame 160 has protruding legs, and the legs are placed on the stage 14. Thereby, an air layer serving as a heat insulating layer is formed between the frame 160 and the stage 14. The frame 160 may be a metal member or a heat insulating member.

  As described above, the sample cooling unit 100 cools the sample S supported by the sample stage 110 by bringing the refrigerant into contact with the lower part 110b of the sample stage 110 and cooling the sample stage 110. Thereby, the sample cooling unit 100 can cool the sample stage 110 to a stable target test temperature, and as a result, can cool the sample S to a stable target test temperature.

  This point will be described using an example in which the refrigerant is liquid nitrogen. For example, in the case of the method of circulating liquid nitrogen inside the sample stage on which the sample S is supported, the sample stage is cooled to “−196 ° C.” by circulating a large amount of liquid nitrogen, The supported sample S can be cooled to “−196 ° C.”. However, cooling with liquid nitrogen is performed by taking latent heat of evaporation from the outside during evaporation. Since the latent heat of vaporization is large, when liquid nitrogen comes into contact with the object to be cooled and boils, the object to be cooled is rapidly cooled to the vicinity of the boiling point of nitrogen of “−196 ° C.” in the vicinity of the contact portion where the liquid nitrogen is in contact.

  For this reason, when the above method is used, it is difficult to cool the temperature of the sample stage to a target test temperature between “−196 ° C.” and “room temperature” by adjusting the amount of liquid nitrogen. It is. For example, when the sample stage is cooled to the target test temperature “−100 ° C.” using the above-described method of circulating liquid nitrogen, even if a small amount of liquid nitrogen is circulated through the sample stage, the liquid nitrogen is in contact with the sample stage. A part of the sample stage becomes “−196 ° C.”, and the sample S may be cooled to “−196 ° C.”. In such a case, it is necessary to wait until the sample S cooled to “−196 ° C.” reaches the target temperature “−100 ° C.”.

  Further, in the case of the above-described method of circulating liquid nitrogen, a part of the sample stage in contact with liquid nitrogen becomes “−196 ° C.”, but what about other parts of the sample stage not in contact with liquid nitrogen? It may be difficult to predict whether the temperature will be reached. In such a case, temperature unevenness occurs instantaneously on the sample stage, and it is difficult to predict what temperature the sample S is cooled to. For this reason, even if the above method is used, it is difficult to cool the sample S to a stable target test temperature.

  On the other hand, the sample cooling unit 100 in this embodiment cools the lower part 110b of the sample stage 110, thereby cooling the upper part 110a of the sample stage 110. That is, in the present embodiment, a gentle temperature gradient is provided between the lower part 110b and the upper part 110a of the sample stage 110, which is a heat storage member, so that the lower part 110b of the sample stage 110 is partially cooled. In addition, the upper part 110a of the sample stage 110 can be cooled to a stable temperature. For example, even when the lower part 110b of the sample stage 110 is sharply cooled by the boiling phenomenon of liquid nitrogen, the upper part 110a that is far from the lower part 110b is less affected by the sudden cooling, so that the upper part 110a is stabilized. Can be cooled to temperature. That is, the sample cooling unit 100 in the present embodiment can control the cooling of the upper part 110a of the sample stage 110 to the target test temperature by adjusting the amount of liquid nitrogen injected into the lower part 110b of the sample stage 110.

  In the sample cooling unit 100 according to the present embodiment, the temperature measurement unit 170 illustrated in FIG. 2 measures the temperature of the sample S, and the temperature adjustment unit 180 measures the temperature of the sample S measured by the temperature measurement unit 170. When the temperature is lower than the target temperature, the sample S is heated by controlling the heater 120. That is, the sample cooling unit 100 in this embodiment performs fine adjustment so that the temperature of the sample S becomes the target test temperature by heating the sample S with the heater 120. Thereby, the temperature measuring unit 170 and the temperature adjusting unit 180 can keep the sample S at a stable target test temperature.

  Here, since the air in the atmosphere contains moisture, it is considered that when the sample S is cooled, the sample S is condensed, frozen, or frosted. And when dew condensation, freezing, and frost are generated on the sample S, it is considered that an accurate Vickers hardness test cannot be performed. However, the Vickers hardness tester 10 according to the present embodiment can prevent the sample S from being condensed, frozen, or frosted.

  This point will be specifically described with reference to FIGS. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the Vickers hardness tester 10 according to the present embodiment is placed on a tester support 20 and covered with an environmental hood 30. The tester support base 20 is, for example, a wooden or metal base. The environmental hood 30 is a transparent member such as acrylic. At least one of the tester support 20 or the environmental hood 30 is formed with an exhaust port through which the air in the environmental hood 30 is exhausted to the outside. In the example shown in FIG. 1, a discharge port 21 a is formed in the tester support base 20.

  And when performing a Vickers hardness test using the Vickers hardness tester 10 which concerns on a present Example, the inside of the environmental hood 30 is dried in the state where the Vickers hardness tester 10 was covered with the environmental hood 30. Inject gas. Examples of the dry gas include nitrogen gas from which liquid nitrogen has evaporated. Thus, by injecting a dry gas such as nitrogen gas into the environment hood 30, the air in the environment hood 30 is discharged to the outside from the discharge port 21a. That is, since the inside of the environmental hood 30 in which the Vickers hardness tester 10 is stored is filled with dry gas, even when the sample S is cooled, condensation, freezing, and frost are generated on the sample S. Can be prevented.

  Further, in the sample cooling unit 100 in the present embodiment, only the vicinity of the upper surface of the sample S is exposed upward from the hole 151 formed in the hood 150 as in the example shown in FIG. The air staying in the vicinity of the sample S can be separated from the sample S by the nitrogen gas flowing upward.

  Specifically, when a Vickers hardness test is performed using the Vickers hardness tester 10 according to the present embodiment, liquid nitrogen is injected into the space U11 or the like through the refrigerant injection tube 140. The liquid nitrogen injected into the space U11 and the like evaporates to dry nitrogen gas, and is discharged from the hole 151 formed in the hood 150. That is, when a Vickers hardness test is performed using the Vickers hardness tester 10, nitrogen gas is discharged from a gap formed between the sample S and the hole 151. For this reason, in the vicinity of the sample S, nitrogen gas is blown upward, so that air containing moisture does not stay in the vicinity of the sample S. As a result, the sample cooling unit 100 in the present embodiment can prevent the sample S from being condensed, frozen, or frosted.

[Flow of Vickers hardness test in this example]
Next, the flow of the Vickers hardness test performed by the Vickers hardness tester 10 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of a Vickers hardness test performed by the Vickers hardness tester 10 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 6, in the Vickers hardness test by the Vickers hardness tester 10 according to the present embodiment, first, the air in the environmental hood 30 is made outside by injecting dry gas into the environmental hood 30. Release (step S101).

  Subsequently, the refrigerant injection tube 140 injects the refrigerant into the space U11 formed between the lower part 110b of the sample stage 110 and the inner wall of the petri dish 130, thereby bringing the refrigerant into contact with the lower part 110b of the sample stage 110 ( Step S102). At this time, the amount of the refrigerant injected from the refrigerant injection tube 140 is an amount for setting the upper part 110a of the sample stage 110 to a predetermined target temperature. Such a relationship between the amount of the refrigerant and the temperature of the upper portion 110a of the sample stage 110 can be obtained in advance from experimental results and the like. That is, the sample S is cooled to a temperature near the target temperature by the upper part 110a of the sample stage 110 cooled by the refrigerant.

  Subsequently, the temperature measurement unit 170 measures the temperature of the sample S (step S103). And the temperature adjustment part 180 adjusts the temperature of the sample S cooled by the sample stand 110 by controlling the temperature of the heater 120 based on the temperature measured by the temperature measurement part 170 (step S104).

  Thereafter, after the temperature of the sample S measured by the temperature measuring unit 170 reaches the target test temperature (step S105, Yes), each part of the Vickers hardness tester 10 is subjected to the sample S in accordance with an instruction from the operator. Measure Vickers hardness.

  Specifically, when the operation receiving unit 15 receives an indenter pressing instruction from the operator, the indenter unit 13a is lowered so that the tip of the indenter unit 13a is pressed into the sample S with a preset test load. (Step S106). Subsequently, when receiving an imaging instruction from the operator, the operation reception unit 15 operates the imaging unit 12 to image the depression formed in the sample S (step S107).

  And the control part 16 measures the length of the diagonal line of the hollow formed in the sample S by analyzing the image imaged by the imaging part 12 according to the instruction | indication from an operator, and the measured diagonal line Vickers hardness is calculated from the length and the magnitude of the load applied to the sample S (step S108).

  As described above, in this embodiment, a gentle temperature gradient is provided between the lower part 110b and the upper part 110a of the sample stage 110, and the refrigerant is brought into contact with the lower part 110b of the sample stage 110. Thereby, the sample cooling unit 100 in the present embodiment can cool the upper portion 110a of the sample stage 110 to a stable temperature, and as a result, cools the sample S placed on the sample stage 110 to a stable temperature. be able to.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the temperature measurement unit 170 measures the temperature of the sample S, and the temperature adjustment unit 180 detects that the temperature of the sample S measured by the temperature measurement unit 170 is lower than the target temperature. Is controlled to heat the sample S. Thereby, the sample cooling unit 100 in the present embodiment can keep the sample S at a stable target test temperature.

  In the present embodiment, the Vickers hardness tester 10 is placed on the tester support 20 and covered with the environmental hood 30, and at least one of the tester support 20 or the environmental hood 30 includes an environment. A discharge port through which the air in the hood 30 is discharged to the outside is formed. As a result, the Vickers hardness tester 10 according to the present embodiment condenses on the sample S by injecting the dry gas into the environment hood 30 and discharging the air in the environment hood 30 to the outside from the discharge port 21a. , Freezing and frosting can be prevented.

  In the present embodiment, a hole 151 larger than the area of the upper surface of the sample S is formed at a position facing the upper surface of the sample S when the hood 150 is placed on the petri dish 130. Thereby, in the sample cooling unit 100 in the present embodiment, the liquid nitrogen injected into the space U11 or the like becomes nitrogen gas, and is discharged from the hole 151 formed in the hood 150, so that the sample S is upward in the vicinity of the sample S. Nitrogen gas will blow out toward you. As a result, the sample cooling unit 100 can prevent the sample S from being condensed, frozen, or frosted.

  In addition, since the sample cooling unit 100 described in the above embodiment can be configured in a small size, it can be mounted without modifying an existing Vickers hardness tester. Therefore, it is possible to measure the temperature dependence of the hardness of the sample at a low temperature at a low cost.

  In the above embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the sample cooling unit 100 has a refrigerant in the space U <b> 11 formed between the lower part 110 b of the sample table 110 housed in the petri dish 130 and the inner wall of the petri dish 130. The example in which the lower part 110b of the sample stage 110 is cooled by injecting the sample is shown. However, the sample cooling unit 100 may cool the bottom surface of the sample table 110.

  This will be specifically described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of cooling the bottom surface of the sample stage 110. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the structures of the petri dish 131 and the refrigerant injection pipe 141 are different from the structure of the petri dish 130 illustrated in FIG. 2. Specifically, the petri dish 131 has protrusions 131a and 131b protruding inward from the inner wall. In the petri dish 131, when the sample stage 110 is stored, the sample stage 110 is placed on the protrusions 131a and 131b of the petri dish 131. As a result, a space U13 is formed between the sample stage 110 and the petri dish 131.

  The refrigerant injection pipe 141 injects a refrigerant such as liquid nitrogen into a space U13 formed between the sample stage 110 and the petri dish 131. Thereby, the space U13 is cooled by the refrigerant, and the bottom surface of the sample stage 110 is cooled. Then, by cooling the bottom surface of the sample table 110, the upper part 110a of the sample table 110 is cooled. In the example shown in FIG. 7 as well, since the upper surface 110a of the sample table 110 is cooled by cooling the bottom surface of the sample table 110, which is the lower part 110b of the sample table 110, the upper part 110a of the sample table 110 is stabilized. As a result, the sample S placed on the sample stage 110 can be cooled to a stable temperature.

  Moreover, although the said Example demonstrated the case where the operation reception part 15 operated each part of the Vickers hardness tester 10 according to the instruction | indication from an operator, this invention is not limited to this. For example, the control unit 16 may automatically operate each unit of the Vickers hardness tester 10.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to the Vickers hardness tester has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and other examples such as a Brinell hardness tester and a Rockwell hardness tester are available. It can be similarly applied to the hardness tester.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Vickers hardness tester 11 Main body part 12 Imaging part 13 Turret 13a Indenter part 13b Objective lens 14 Stage 15 Operation reception part 16 Control part 20 Tester support stand 21a Outlet 30 Environmental hood 100 Sample cooling part 110 Sample stand 120 Heater 130 Petri dish 131 Petri dish 131a Protrusion part 140 Refrigerant injection pipe 141 Refrigerant injection pipe 150 Hood 151 Hole 160 Frame 170 Temperature measurement part 180 Temperature adjustment part

Claims (8)

A sample stage that is a heat storage member that is installed in a hardness tester that measures the hardness of the sample and supports the sample; and
A storage unit that stores the sample stage and the sample supported by the sample stage, and is a heat insulating member in which a hole larger than the upper surface of the sample is formed at a position facing the upper surface of the sample;
By inserting the hole in a state of being separated from the storage unit, by contacting the coolant to the lower part of the sample stage where the sample on the upper surface side is exposed outside the storage unit is placed on the upper part, A cooling unit for cooling the sample stage;
And a temperature measuring unit that measures the temperature of the sample supported by the sample stage cooled by the cooling unit. The sample cooling device according to claim 1, further comprising: a temperature adjusting unit that adjusts the temperature of the sample by heating the sample supported by the sample stage cooled by the cooling unit. The sample stage is
The lower part is formed in a large convex shape with respect to the upper part,
The cooling part is
The sample stage is cooled by injecting the coolant into a space formed between a lower part of the sample stage stored in the storage part and an inner wall of the storage part. The sample cooling device according to 1. A tester support that supports the hardness tester; a tester storage that stores the hardness tester installed on the tester support;
Further comprising
The discharge port through which the air in the tester storage unit is discharged to the outside is formed in at least one of the tester support or the tester storage unit. The sample cooling device described in 1. A sample stage that is a heat storage member that is installed in a hardness tester that measures the hardness of the sample and supports the sample; and
A cooling unit for cooling the sample supported by the sample table by cooling the sample table;
Accommodating said specimen supported on the sample stage and the sample stage, possess a housing part is a heat insulating member for pores greater than the upper surface of the sample is formed at a position upper surface facing the sample ,
The sample cooling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sample that is partially exposed on the upper surface side is placed outside the storage portion by being inserted through the hole in a state of being separated from the storage portion . A tester support that supports the hardness tester; a tester storage that stores the hardness tester installed on the tester support;
Further comprising
6. The sample cooling device according to claim 5, wherein a discharge port through which air in the tester storage unit is discharged to the outside is formed in at least one of the tester support or the tester storage unit. . A hardness tester for measuring the hardness of a sample,
A sample stage that is a heat storage member that is installed in the hardness tester and supports the sample;
A storage unit that stores the sample stage and the sample supported by the sample stage, and is a heat insulating member in which a hole larger than the upper surface of the sample is formed at a position facing the upper surface of the sample;
By inserting the hole in a state of being separated from the storage unit, by contacting the coolant to the lower part of the sample stage where the sample on the upper surface side is exposed outside the storage unit is placed on the upper part, A cooling unit for cooling the sample stage;
And a temperature measuring unit that measures the temperature of the sample supported by the sample stage cooled by the cooling unit. A hardness test method using a hardness tester for measuring the hardness of a sample,
The hardness tester is
A sample stage which is a heat storage member for supporting the sample;
A storage unit that stores the sample stage and the sample supported by the sample stage, and is a heat insulating member in which a hole larger than the upper surface of the sample is formed at a position facing the upper surface of the sample; ,
The hardness test method is:
By inserting the hole in a state of being separated from the storage unit , a refrigerant is brought into contact with a lower part of a sample table on which the sample on the upper surface side is exposed outside the storage unit is placed above, A cooling step for cooling the sample stage;
A temperature measurement step for measuring the temperature of the sample supported by the sample stage cooled in the cooling step;
And a hardness measurement step of measuring the hardness of the sample after the temperature of the sample measured in the temperature measurement step reaches a predetermined temperature.

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