A new tensile stage for in situ electron microscopy examination of the mechanical properties of "superelastic" specimens.

We have developed a novel tensile stage that can be used for in situ electron microscopy examination of the mechanical properties of "superelastic" materials. In our stage, one of the specimen clamps is replaced by a cylindrical roller, which when driven by a motor can easily stretch ("roll on") any specimen irrespective of its plastic properties. We have used the so-called Roll-o-meter in the study of the tensile behavior of two different film formed latex formulations, here referred to as standard and novel. We find that the values of the tensile strength and extension to break of the studied systems, measured by using the Roll-o-meter, are similar to those measured by a Hounsfield tensile testing machine outside the microscope chamber. Further, in situ environmental scanning electron microscopy examination of the deformation and failure of the lattices revealed that the standard specimens exhibit a more ductile behavior, compared to the novel ones.