2.

0 TITLE: HARDNESS TEST ON LOW CARBON STEEL AND

ALUMINUM
2.1 - ABSTRACT
This study is to figure out how Hardness test is carried out by Rockwell hardness testing
to measure the bulk hardness of metallic materials. In this study, aluminum and low carbon steel
are tested on their hardness. Hardness of a materials correlates directly with its strength, wear
resistance and other properties. ASTM E 18-07 Standard Test Methods for Rockwell Hardness of
Metallic Materials is the active and current standard by which Rockwell Hardness Testing is
performed, and is also the most frequently used hardness testing method. This report will provide
valuable information regarding the hardness test with Rockwell hardness test and the properties
of the materials.

2.2 - INTRODUCTION
Hardness is the property of a metal that enables it to resist plastic deformation, usually by
penetration. However, the term may also refer to stiffness or temper, or to resistance to
scratching, abrasion, or cutting. It is the property of a metal, which gives it the ability to resist
being permanently, deformed (bent, broken, or have its shape changed), when a load is applied.
The greater the hardness of the metal, the greater resistance it has to deformation.
Hardness is not an intrinsic material property dictated by precise definitions in terms of
fundamental units of mass, length and time. A hardness property value is the result of a defined
measurement procedure. The usual method to achieve a hardness value is to measure the depth or
area of an indentation left by an indenter of a specific shape, with a specific force applied for a
specific time. There are three types of tests used with accuracy by the metals industry; they are
the Brinell hardness test, the Rockwell hardness test, and the Vickers hardness test.
ASTM E 18-07 Standard Test Methods for Rockwell Hardness of Metallic Materials is
the active and current standard by which Rockwell Hardness Testing is performed, and is also the
most frequently used hardness testing method. In this test method, the measurement of the
permanent depth of an indentation produced when a standardized tool is acted upon by a known
predetermined force is compared to a scale to arrive at a hardness number. This test can be
performed on all metals unless the size, shape, or surface conditions of the specimens are
prohibitive. The Rockwell Hardness Test is considered to be more accurate and easier to perform
than other hardness test.

Figure 1: Example of Rockwell Hardness machine

2.3 - MATERIALS
1. 2 piece of metals Aluminum and Low Carbon Steel
2. Rockwell hardness machine

2.4 - PROCEDURE
1. The location/area for the test on the low carbon steel piece is chosen. The area were made
sure that there was no oil, dirt or rust. The steel piece does not need to be polished.
2. The test piece is put on the working platform
3. The indenter is lowered onto the test piece surface

Figure 2

4. A minor load is applied and a zero reference position is established

igure 3
5. The major load is applied for a specific time period (dwell time) beyond zero

Figure 4

6. The major load is released leaving the minor load applied when the indicator stops
moving
7. The reading of the HRB was taken.

Figure 5

8. The experiment was repeated using Aluminum and the data was recorded.

2.5 - RESULT
Metals

Brinnel Hardness (HB)

Rockwell Hardness (HRB)

105.3

85.11

160.6

83.55

163.6

84.54

315.8

108.48

231.4

98.57

185.3

90.06

Aluminium

Low carbon Steel

Brinell Hardness (HB)

350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0

1st Reading

2nd Reading
Aluminium

3rd Reading

Column1

The average reading for aluminium is 143.17 while the average reading for mild steel is 244.17.
Brinell hardness test is used to test the hardness of materials that have structures that are too
coarse. As we can see from the bar chart in the comparison above,mild steel records a higher
reading on the Brinell hardness test compared to aluminium. With an average reading that is 1.7
times bigger than aluminium,mild steel can be classified as having a higher hardness than
aluminium.

Rockwell Hardness (HRB)

120
100
80
60
40
20
0

1st Reading

2nd Reading
Aluminium

3rd Reading

Column1

Rockwell Hardness test is also used to test hardness of materials. The test involves determining
the hardness of materials by measuring the depth of penetration of an indenter under a large load.
The average reading for aluminium is 84.4 while the average reading for mild steel is
99.03.This shows that mild steel have a larger hardness compared to aluminium.
In general, solids have 3 responses to force,depending on the amount of force and the type of
material.In metals, they exhibit the properties of plasticity which is the ability of a material to
permanently change shape in response to the force,but still remain in one piece. The yield
strength is the point where elastic deformation give way to plastic deformation. This can be
described by a stress-strain curve.
In both Brinell and Rockwell hardness tests, mild steel shows that it have a higher degree of
plasticity compared to aluminium. Based on the calculations made, it requires a far larger force
to deform the structure of mild steel. Hardness of a material to deformation is dependent on its
microdurability or small-scale shear modulus in any direction, not to
any rigidity or stiffness properties such as its bulk modulus or Young's modulus.

The key to understanding the mechanism behind hardness is understanding the metallic
microstructure .At the atomic level, the atoms in metals are arranged in an orderly threedimensional array called a crystal lattice. There are two types of irregularities at the grain level
of the microstructure that are responsible for the hardness of the material. These irregularities are
point defects and line defects. A point defect is an irregularity located at a single lattice site
inside of the overall three-dimensional lattice of the grain. There are three main point defects. If
there is an atom missing from the array, a vacancy defect is formed. If there is a different type of
atom at the lattice site that should normally be occupied by a metal atom, a substitutional defect
is formed. If there exists an atom in a site where there should normally not be, an interstitial
defect is formed. This is possible because space exists between atoms in a crystal lattice. While
point defects are irregularities at a single site in the crystal lattice, line defects are irregularities
on a plane of atoms. Dislocations are a type of line defect involving the misalignment of these
planes. In the case of an edge dislocation, a half plane of atoms is wedged between two planes of
atoms. In the case of a screw dislocation two planes of atoms are offset with a helical array
running between them.

Rockwell Hardness Test

160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0

Experimental Value
Aluminium

Theoretical Value
Column1

Brinell Hardness Test

300
250
200
150
100
50
0

Experimental Value

Theoretical Value
Series 1

Column1

The difference in the theoretical value and experimental values from both hardness tests can be
explained due to several factors such as presence of foreign materials on the surface of the
materials during tests are made such as oxides (rust) due to exposure to air and water. The point
defect and line defect in the crystal lattice structure in metals also plays a part in the
discrepencies in values from both tests.

2.6 - CONCLUSION
Based on the experiment, it is found that as a material, mild steel possesses a greater hardness
level compared to aluminium. The difference in the theoretical value and experimental values
from both hardness tests can be explained due to several factors such as presence of foreign
substance on the surface of the materials and the irregularities that occurs inside the structure of
the material.

2.7 - REFERENCES
ASTM E 18-07. (n.d.). Retrieved from Westemoreland Mechanical Testing and Research:
http://www.wmtr.com/en.rockwellhardness.html
Jeffus, L. (2011). Hardness Test. In L. Jeffus, Welding and Metal Fabrication (p. 722). New
York: Cengage Learning.
Material Hardness. (n.d.). Retrieved from calce umd:
http://www.calce.umd.edu/TSFA/Hardness_ad_.htm
Rockwell Hardness Testing. (n.d.). Retrieved from Materials Evaluation and Engineering Inc:
http://www.mee-inc.com/hamm/rockwell-hardness-testing/
Tabor, D. (2000). Hardness Measurement with Conical and Pyramid Identers . In D. Tabor, The
Hardness of Metals (pp. 107-178). United States : Oxford University Press Inc .

2.8 - APPENDIX

Figure 7 Diamond-Cone Brale Indenter used in Rockwell

Hardness Testing

Figure 6 : Table of typical applications

of Rockwell Hardness Test