Jominy End Quench Test

 What is a Jominy End Quench Test?
 How to do a Jominy End Quench Test
(Tutorial Using Video Clips)
 Jominy End Quench Test Data.
This tutorial discusses the Jominy End Quench test for
steels. It describes the aims of the test and the use of
the data obtained, demonstrates the method of
performing the test, and shows how the test data is
related to the microstructure produced in the steel
sample.

Jominy End Quench Test Data

A plain carbon steel and an alloy steel were assessed using the Jominy End Quench test.

The hardness of the samples was measured as a function of the distance from the quenched
end to demonstrate the different hardenability of the two steels. The data is shown as Vickers
and Rockwell hardness.

The alloy compositions are given in the table below.

(wt%) C Mn Cr Ni Si Mo P S
Plain Carbon
Steel
0.3 0.7 0.1 0.14 0.26 0.03 0.003 0.02

Alloy Steel 0.3 0.6 0.7 3.5 0.26 0.35 0.01

Vickers Hardness

The Vickers hardness test uses a square pyramidal diamond indentor. The recorded hardness
depends on the indentation load and the width of the square indentation made by the
diamond. The indentation load is typically between 10 and 30 kg. The hardness number is
usually denoted by HV20 for Hardness Vickers 20 kg, for example. The Vickers test is most
commonly used in the UK. The Rockwell hardness of a metal can also be determined using a
similar technique.
 The variation of
hardness was measured
with distance from the
quenched end. The
results are in the graph to
the left.

You can click on the circled

data points to see how the
microstructures varies with
distance from the quenched
end.

The alloy steel clearly

has the highest
hardenability, forming
martensite to a greater
depth than the plain
carbon steel.

Look at both the

microstructures at high
magnification, and try to
observe the relationship
between the volume
fraction of martensite
and the hardness of the
steel.

Rockwell Hardness

The Vickers hardness scale is not the only scale used to measure hardness in metals.

The Rockwell hardness test measures a number which depends on the difference in the depth
of an indentation made by two loads, a minor load followed by a major load. There are
different scales for the Rockwell hardness test. For example, the commonly used Rockwell C
test uses a minor load of 10 kg, followed by a major load of 150 kg. The number is denoted
as HRC for Hardness Rockwell C scale. The indentor is either a conical diamond pyramid, or
a hardened steel ball. The Rockwell test is commonly used in the USA.

Other tests include the Brinell and Knoop hardness tests.

 There are conversion
charts between the
hardness scales. These
can be found in
standards, such as the
British Standards, and
reference works such as
the ASM Metals
handbook. It's important
to use the correct
conversion chart for
different materials, since
the hardness test causes
plastic strain, and
therefore varies with the
strain hardening
properties of the
material.
The graph to the left
gives the Jominy End
Quench data in terms of
the Rockwell hardness
number. Clicking on the
circled data points will
take you to images of the
microstructure at that
location in the sample.

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© Dr. James Marrow
Manchester Materials Science Centre, UMIST and University of Manchester.