The document provides information about different hardness tests for materials, including Brinell hardness test, Rockwell hardness test, and Vickers hardness test. It explains how each test is conducted, the equipment used, factors that influence the measurements, advantages and disadvantages of the tests. Correlations between hardness values and properties like tensile strength are also discussed. Various hardness scales are compared. Microhardness testing and applications are outlined as well.

1. ME 101: Materials Science and Technology

2. ME101: Materials Science and
Technology

3. 



Hardness is not necessarily an indication of
strength , although for some materials such as
steel, a harder steel is a stronger steel.
Measure of a material’s ability to resist surface
indentation or scratching
A difficult property to describe in terms of first
principles Þ value depends greatly on
method of testing.
Different testing methods Þ different scales and
values
ME101: Materials Science and
Technology

4. 


Brinell Hardness Test: 10mm diameter ball
with a load of 500, 1000 or 3000kg
Rockwell Hardness Test: A cone shape
indenter; the depth of penetration is measured.
Vickers Hardness Test: Pyramid shape indenter
ME101: Materials Science and
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5. F
Brinell’s Hardness
ME101: Materials Science and
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6. P from 500 - 3000 kg
D= 10 mm
D
d
BHN =( 2 P )
{
πD D −


ME101: Materials Science and
Technology
(
)
}
D 2 −d 2 



7. ME101: Materials Science and
Technology

8. 1.
2.
3.
Press a 10mm (3/8") diameter ball into
material with a known amount of load.
Measure diameter of the indentation.
BHN =
Load
=
2L
Surface Area πD[D-(D2-d2)1/2]
1. L = Load placed on ball, usually 3000 kg , but 1500 kg, and
500 kg can also be used.
2. D = Diameter of steel ball ( = 10 mm)
3. d = diameter of dent, measured by looking thru a Brinell
microscope.
ME101: Materials Science and
Technology

9. Plastic
Mild steel
Elastic
H
Copper
H = Ae-BT
d/D(%E)
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10. Tensile Strength (MPa)
Tensile Strength = 3.4 BHN
Correlations between the
Brinell hardness number (BHN)
and tensile strength of carbon
steels.
ME101: Materials Science and
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Hardness (HB)

11. 
Sample must be ten times thicker than the
indentation depth (sample usually should be at least
3/8" thick).

Test is most accurate if the indentation depth is 2.5 5.0 mm. Adjust load to achieve this.

Test is no good if BHN > 650
ME101: Materials Science and
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12. 



Widely used and well
accepted
Large ball gives good
average reading with
a single test.
Accurate
Easy to learn and use




Destructive
Non-portable
High initial cost
($5,000)
Error due to operator
reading Brinell
Microscope (10%
max)
ME101: Materials Science and
Technology

13. ME101: Materials Science and
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14. Machine measures depth of penetration and computes
hardness
ME101: Materials Science and
Technology

15. 

Select Scale - load and
indentor depending on
the scale
Press a point into
material




- Diamond Point (Brale)
- 1/16" ball
- 1/8" ball
- ¼” ball
ME101: Materials Science and
Technology

16. Load levels and indenter sizes for Rockwell hardness tests.
Symbol
Indenter
Normal Scales
RB, 1/16 ball*
RC, cone +
RA, cone
RD, cone
RE, 1/8 ball
RF, 1/16 ball
RG, 1/16 ball
Superficial Sales
R15N, cone+
R30N, cone
R45N, cone
R15T, 1/16 ball
R30T, 1/16 ball
R45T, 1/16 ball
Minor(Pre-)
Load, kg
Coefficients in
R = C1 – C2 t
Major(Total)
Load, kg
C1
C2mm-1
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
100
150
60
100
100
60
150
130
100
100
100
130
130
130
500
500
500
500
500
500
500
3
3
3
3
3
3
15
30
45
15
30
45
100
100
100
100
100
100
1000
1000
1000
1000
1000
1000
ME101: Materials Science and
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17. 


Sample must be ten times thicker than the
indentation depth (sample usually should
be at least 1/8" thick).
Need 3 tests (minimum) to avoid
inaccuracies due to impurities, hard spots.
Test is most accurate if the Rockwell
Hardness is between 0 and 100. Adjust
scale to achieve this.
For Steel:
If HRa > 60, use HRc scale
If HRa < 60, use HRb scale
ME101: Materials Science and
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18. 



Widely used and well
accepted
Little operator
subjectivity
Accurate
Fast



Destructive
Non-Portable
Initial cost ($5,000)
ME101: Materials Science and
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19. 1)
If -20 < HRc < 40
BHN = 1,420,000
(100 – HRc)2
2)
3)
If 40 < HRc < 100
If 35 < HRb < 100
BHN = 25,000__
(100 - HRc)
BHN = 7,300____
(130 - HRb)
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20. DPH/VHN/VPH/VH = 2PSin(θ/2)/L2
P
P: applied load in kg, 5-120 kg
L: average diagonal length, mm
(typically from a few µm to 1 mm)
θ
θ: angle between opposite faces of
indenter; ≡ 136°
L
Range: 5 (extremely soft metals) 1500 (extremely hard materials)
1.854P
HV =
2
L
A
Vickers Hardness = F/A =
3σ
ME101: Materials Science and
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21. 





Continuous hardness from soft (5 DPH) to hard
materials (1500 DPH)
DPH independent on load value unlike BHN
Careful surface preparation required
Slow due to careful measurement
Small indentation compared to BHN
Pin cushion and Barrel indentations possible
ME101: Materials Science and
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22. ME101: Materials Science and
Technology

23. 



Knoop hardness Test: Pyramid shape
indenter
Scleroscope: rebound height
Durometer: The resistance to penetration
(elastic deformation)
Relationship between Hardness and
Strength
TS = K h ( HB )
where K h = 500 in lb/in
ME101: Materials Science and
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= 3.45 in MPa
2

24. 
Micro Hardness Tests

Major : Minor = 7 : 1

P :
Ap :
L :
C :



14.2P
HK =
2
L
Applied load = 25 gf- 300 gf
Unrecovered Proj. area of indentations, mm 2
Length of long diagonal, mm
A constant supplied by the manufacturer
(C=0.07028 for 172° 30' between
long edges and 130° 0' between short edges)

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25. 



Accurate
Useful for elongated and
anisotropic constituents.
Requires load to be
normal to surface plane
parallel surfaces.
Can be done on
mounted specimens



Slow
Sensitive to surface
condition
Subject to error in
diagonal measurement
ME101: Materials Science and
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26. Microhardness variation in a 9Cr-1 Mo steel weldment as a function of position.
Note the structural changes and the corresponding changes in hardness as the
fusion line is traversed.
ME101: Materials Science and
Technology

27. ME101: Materials Science and
Technology

28. 


The Shore (Durometer) test provides an empirical hardness
value that doesn't correlate to other properties or
fundamental characteristics.
Shore Hardness, using either the Shore A or Shore D scale,
is the preferred method for rubbers/elastomers and is also
commonly used for 'softer' plastics such as polyolefins,
fluoropolymers, and vinyls. The Shore A scale is used for
'softer' rubbers while the Shore D scale is used for 'harder'
ones.
Because of the resilience of rubbers and plastics, the
hardness reading may change over time - so the
indentation time is sometimes reported along with the
hardness number. The ASTM test number is ASTM D2240
number
while the analogous ISO test method is ISO 868.
ME101: Materials Science and
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29. ME101: Materials Science and
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30. ME101: Materials Science and
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31. ME101: Materials Science and
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32. The Brinell’s Hardness Test of an alloy steel was measured
to be 355. What is the diameter of the indentation if a load
of 2000 kg was used. Also compute the tensile strength of the
material.
D= 10 mm
d = 2.65 mm
Tensile Strength = 1207 MPa
ME101: Materials Science and
Technology

33. The Brinell hardness of an alloy steel is 355. Compute the
diameter of the indentation if a load of 200 kg was used and estimate the
Solution
corresponding tensile strength of the material.
BHN = ( 2 P )
{
π D D −


(
)
D2 − d 2 


}
Substituting the values from the problem statement yields :
355 = ( 2 ) ( 2000 )
{
10π 10 −


(
)
10 2 − d 2 


}
which after some algebra gives d = 2.65mm
ME101: Materials Science and
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34. 5mm
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35. 
Indentation Hardness used for steel


It is indicative of ultimate tensile strength


as opposed to scratch or rebound hardness
Atoms move out of the way to create indentation
Two main types: Brinell and Rockwell

37. 



A spherical indenter (1 cm diameter) is shot
with 29 kN force at the target
Frequently the indenter is steel, but for harder
materials it is replaced with a tungsten carbide
sphere
The diameter of the indentation is recorded
The indentation diameter can be correlated
with the volume of the indentation.

38. B N=
H
(
2
P
)
π − ( −d )
DD D
2
2

39. 


ASTM and ISO use the HB value. It can be
HBS (Hardness, Brinell, Steel) or the HBW
(Hardness, Brinell, Tungsten)
HBW = 0.102 BHN
Sometimes written as HBW 10/3000
(Tungsten, 10 mm diameter, 3,000 kg force)

40. Material
Softwood (e.g., pine)
Hardwood
Aluminum
Copper
Mild steel
18-8 (304) stainless steel annealed
Glass
Hardened tool steel
Rhenium diboride
Hardness
1.6 HBS 10/100
2.6–7.0 HBS 1.6 10/100
15 HB
35 HB
120 HB
200 HB
1550 HB
1500–1900 HB
4600 HB

43. Scale Code
Load
Indenter
Use
120° diamond cone
Tungsten
carbide
A
HRA 60 kgf
B
Al, brass, and
HRB 100 kgf 1/16 in diameter steel sphere soft steels
C
D
HRC 150 kgf 120° diamond cone
HRD 100 kgf 120° diamond cone
E
HRE 100 kgf 1/8 in diameter steel sphere
F
HRF 60 kgf
G
HRG 150 kgf 1/16 in diameter steel sphere
1/16 in diameter steel sphere
Harder steels

44. HBW
10/3000
HRA 60KG
HRB 100KG
HRC 150KG
Tensile
Strength
(Approx)
638
80.8
-
59.2
329,000
578
79.1
-
56
297,000
461
74.9
-
48.5
235,000
375
70.6
-
40.4
188,000
311
66.9
-
33.1
155,000
241
61.8
100
22.8
118,000
207
-
94.6
16
100,000
179
-
89
-
87,000
149
-
80.8
-
73,000
111
-
65.7
-
56,000