Hardness Test

Dwi Marta Nurjaya

Definitions and purposes

The measure of how resistant solid
matter is to various kinds of permanent
shape change when a force is applied.
Simply stated, hardness is the
resistance of a material to permanent
indentation.
Purposes:
Measure the hardness value of
materials
Used to give an indication of tensile
strength and the ability to resist wear

Hardness Classifications of Snow

Measuring Methods
Three main types of hardness
measurements:
scratch,
indentation,
and rebound.
Based on scale (indetation and
Load):
macro,
micro
nano.
Different testing methods ---- different scales and values

Scratch hardness
invented by : Friedrich Mohs (1815)
determined by the ability of a material to scratch another material:
from 1 (softest = talc) to 10 (hardest = diamond).
important to mineralogists and Not suited for metal

Mohs hardness scale

Indentation hardness
Methods:
Press a hardened steel ball or diamond into the material to be
tested under an applied force

Major important engineering interest for metals.

Types of load and indentation:

Brinell,
Meyer,
Vickers,
Rockwell,
Knoop/Tukon,
Janka.

Hardness tester - Desktop

Indenter

Anvil

Hardness tester

Hardness tester - Portable

Brinell hardness test

J.A. Brinell introduced the first standardised
indentation-hardness test in 1900. The Brinell hardness
test consists in indenting the metal surface with a 10-mm
diameter steel ball at a load range of 500-3000 kg,
depending of hardness of particular materials.
The load is applied for a standard time (~30 s), and the
diameter of the indentation is measured ---- giving an
average value of two readings of the diameter of the
indentation at right angle.
To avoid excessive indentation, load can be reduced to
31.25 kg, 62.5kg, 187.5kg, 500kg or 1500 kg using 1,25
mm, 2.5 mm, and 5mm steel ball indenter

Brinell hardness test

Where :
P = applied force (kgf)
D = diameter of indenter (mm)
d = diameter of indentation (mm)
Units: kg/mm2, but not a pressure
HBN, HB

Brinell hardness test with

nonstandard load or ball diameter
In order to obtain the same BHN
with a non-standard load or ball
diameter, it is necessary to produce a
geometrical similar indentations.
From fig, d = D sin , giving the
alternative expression of Brinell
hardness number as:

The included angle 2 should remain

constant and the load and the ball
diameter must be varied in the ratio

Brinell Characteristics
Calculate extreme cases:

High hardness: d=0, BHN =

Low hardness: d=10, BHN = 19.1
Gives a macrohardness properties of a few mm3 of material.
Large indenter and load make fairly large specimen necessary
Anvil effect bulging of back if specimen too thin, resulting
in artificially low reading
Sideways bulging if sample too narrow, resulting in artificially
low reading
Mounting material will crush --- must be removed from back of
specimen
Well-suited for forgings, castings, heat treated parts, gears, and
cast iron
Surface preparation not critical as-ground

Advantages and disadvantages of

Brinell hardness test
Large indentation averages out local
heterogeneities of microstructure.
Different loads are used to cover a wide
rage of hardness of commercial metals.
Brinell hardness test is less influenced
by surface scratches and roughness
than other hardness tests.
The test has limitations on small
specimens or in critically stressed parts
where indentation could be a possible
site of failure.
Test is no good if > 650 BHN

Rockwell hardness test

Invented by H.M. Rockwell and S.P. Rockwell (19191924)
The most widely used hardness test in the US and
generally accepted due to:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Its speed,
Freedom from personal error,
Ability to distinguish small hardness difference,
Small size of indentation.

The hardness is measured according to the depth of

indentation, under a constant load (not a load/area).
Rockwell hardness consitst of 30 macrohardness tests
(15 standard, 15 superficial).

Rockwell hardness test

Loading sequences:
Minor load applied first, to seat indenter:
a. 10 kg for standard tests
b. 3 kg for superficial tests
Then major load
a. 60, 100, 150 kg for standard tests
b. 15, 30, and 45 kg for superficial test

Indenters
Steel ball (1/16", 1/8", 1/4", or 1/2" dia.)
Diamond cone (Brale indenter)

Scales

All are dimensionless

All have maximum reading of 130
Become inaccurate below 20 or above 100
No relationship between scales

Rockwell hardness test

Principal of the
Rockwell Test:
1.

2.

3.

4.

Position the surface area

to be measured close to
the indenter.
Applied the minor load
and a zero reference
position is established
The major load is applied
for a specified time
period (dwell time)
beyond zero
The major load is
released leaving the
minor load applied.

Rockwell hardness standard scale

Scale

Indenter

A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
K
L
M
P
R
S
V

Diamond cone
1/16" steel ball
Diamond cone
Diamond cone
1/8" steel ball
1/16" steel ball
1/16" steel ball
1/8" steel ball
1/8" steel ball
1/4" steel ball
1/4" steel ball
1/4" steel ball
1/2" steel ball
1/2" steel ball
1/2" steel ball

Minor Load
F0
kgf
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
10

Major Load
F1
kgf
50
90
140
90
90
50
140
50
140
50
90
140
50
90
140

Total Load
F
kgf

Value of
E

60
100
150
100
100
60
150
60
150
60
100
150
60
100
150

100
130
100
100
130
130
130
130
130
130
130
130
130
130
130

Rockwell hardness superficial scale

Scale

Indenter

15N
30N
45N
15T
30T
45T
15W
30W
45W
15X
30X
45X
15Y
30Y
45Y

Diamond cone
Diamond cone
Diamond cone
1/16" steel ball
1/16" steel ball
1/16" steel ball
1/8" steel ball
1/8" steel ball
1/8" steel ball
1/4" steel ball
1/4" steel ball
1/4" steel ball
1/2" steel ball
1/2" steel ball
1/2" steel ball

Minor Load
F0
kgf
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3

Major Load
F1
kgf
12
27
42
12
27
42
12
27
42
12
27
42
12
27
42

Total Load
F
kgf
15
30
45
15
30
45
15
30
45
15
30
45
15
30
45

Vickers hardness test

Developed in 1921 by Robert
L. Smith and George E.
Sandland at Vickers Ltd
Vickers hardness test uses a
square-base diamond
pyramid as the indenter with
the included angle between
opposite faces of the pyramid
of 136o.
The Vickers hardness
number (VHN) is defined as
the load divided by the
surface area of the
indentation.

Vickers hardness test

Vickers hardness test uses the loads ranging from 1 - 120 kgf,
applied for between 10 and 15 seconds.
Provide a fairly wide acceptance for research work because it
provides a continuous scale of hardness, for a given load.
VHN = 5 - 1,500 can be obtained at the same load level --- easy for
comparison).

Where, P = the applied load, kg

L = the average length of diagonals, mm
= the angle between opposite faces of diamond = 136o.

Note: the unit can be VHN, DPH, Hv

Vickers hardness numbers are reported as xxxHVyy, e.g. 440HV30, or
xxxHVyy/zz if duration of force differs from 10 s to 15 s, e.g. 440Hv30/20

Indentations made by Vickers hardness

A perfect square indentation (a) made with a perfect
diamondpyramid indenter would be a square.
The pincushion indentation (b) is the result of sinking in of the
metal around the flat faces of the pyramid. This gives an
overestimate of the diagonal length (observed in annealed metals).
The barrel-shaped indentation (c) is found in cold-worked metals,
resulting from ridging or piling up of the metal around the faces of
the indenter. Produce a low value of contact area --- giving too high
value.

Types of diamond-pyramid indentation (a) perfect indentation

(b) pincushion indentation due to sinking in (c) barrelled
indentation due to ridging.

Microhardness Test
Hardness testing of materials with
low applied loads,
Applied load beetwen 1 1000 gf,
Microindentation tests typically
have forces of 2 N (roughly 200 gf)
and produce indentations of about
50 m,
Using Vickers or Knoop/Tukon
method,
Useful for
a. surfaces
b. elongated microconstituents
c. anisotropic properties

Knoop hardness test

Used particularly for very brittle materials or thin sheets,
The advantages of the test are that only a very small sample of
material is required, and that it is valid for a wide range of test
forces.
The main disadvantages are the difficulty of using a microscope to
measure the indentation (with an accuracy of 0.5 micrometre), and
the time needed to prepare the sample and apply the indenter.

where:
L = length of indentation along its long axis
Cp = correction factor related to the shape of the
indenter, ideally 0.070279
P = load

Both Vickers & Knoop

Slow
Sensitive to surface condition:
a. Requires polishing (through diamond or g-Al2O3 step)
b. Best unetched
Requires load to be normal to surface -- plane parallel
surfaces
Can be done on mounted specimens
Subject to error in diagonal measurement
Comparison
a. Knoop shallower indent -- more surface sensitivity
b. Vickers smaller L --- more prone to measurement
errors

General precautions
1. Indentations should be spaced minimum 2 dia.
apart (edge-edge, not center-center),
2. Specimen thickness should exceed 10t,
3. Controlled application of load dashpot,
4. Sustain load for ~30 s before taking reading
5. Interconversions are material-dependent;,
6. Correlations to tensile strength data are not
universal,
7. Need 3 tests (minimum) to avoid innacuracies
due impurities and hard spot.

Hardness conversion

Shore durometer hardness test

The durometer is a popular
instrument for measuring the
indentation hardness of the
elastrometers and polymers.
This is one of the standardised
ASTM procedure for testing rubber
and plastic (ASTM D2240-68)
The operation is similar to rockwell
test method. Durometer hardness is a
measure of the depth of indentation.
The indenter is pressed against the
material being tested by a calibrated
spring and the indentation depth is
measured by an indicating device

Shore durometer hardness test

Types :
1. Model A for testing soft materials
2. Model D for hard materials
Both durometers are quite similar, differing primarily in the sharpness of
indenters and the magnitude of the load applied to the indenter by the
calibrated spring.
The load is applied by foot and the reading is taken within seconds of contact
of load with the material.
HA=0-100 or HD= 0-100 are usual designations

Shore durometer conversion

Hardness test standards

Test
Rockwell

Methods

Force Range

Indenter Types

ASTM

Measure
Method

Regular

60, 100, 150 kgf

Conical Diamond & Small Ball

E 18

Depth

Superficial

15, 30, 45 kgf

Conical Diamond & Small Ball

E 18

Depth

Vickers

5 to 2000 grf

136o pyramid diamond

E 384

Area

Knoop

5 to 2000 grf

1300 x 1720o diamond

E 384

Area

Brinell

Optival

500 to 3000 kgf

5 mm, 10 mm ball

E 10

Area

Shore

Regular

822 gr (A), 4550 gr

(D)

35o cone (A) 30o cone (D)

D 2240

Depth

Micro

257 gr (A), 1135 gr(D)

35o cone (A) 30o cone (D)

N/A

Depth

Microhardness