Experiment: Hardness testing of metallic materials

Objective : To determine the hardness of metallic materials by using the Rockwell scale.

Introduction to hardness testing

Hardness is a characteristic of a material, not a fundamental physical property. It is defined as the

resistance to indentation, and it is determined by measuring the permanent depth of the indentation.
More simply put, when using a fixed force (load) and a given indenter, the smaller the indentation
formed , the harder the material. Indentation hardness value is obtained by measuring the depth or the
area of the indentation through several test methods.

1) Rockwell testing – Rockwell hardness and superficial

2) Brinell testing
3) Vickers testing are some of the examples.

When selecting appropriate testing equipment the following should be considered.

1) Hardness range - Above a hardness of approximately 650 HB/30, a diamond

penetrator should be used; below that value it is also possible to use a penetrator made of
steel or hard metal.
2) Accuracy -The precision of the measurement is heavily dependent on the accuracy
employed by the operator.
3) Flexibility of the device with regard to forms and dimensions of specimens -
Stationary devices are, primarily suitable for tests on small and medium-sized specimens.

Introduction to the theory

The Rockwell method measures the permanent depth of indentation produced by a force/load on an
indenter. First, a preliminary test force (commonly referred to as preload or minor load) is applied to a
sample using a diamond indenter. This load represents the zero or reference position that breaks
through the surface to reduce the effects of surface finish. After the preload, an additional load, call
the major load, is applied to reach the total required test load. This force is held for a predetermined
amount of time (dwell time) to allow for elastic recovery. This major load is then released and the
final position is measured against the position derived from the preload, the indentation depth
variance between the preload value and major load value. This distance is converted to a hardness
number.

The Rockwell scale is a hardness scale based on indentation hardness of a material. The Rockwell test
determines the hardness by measuring the depth of penetration of an indenter under a large load
compared to the penetration made by a preload. There are different scales, denoted by a single letter,
that use different loads or indenters. The result is a dimensionless number noted as HRA, HRB, HRC,
etc., where the last letter is the respective Rockwell scale.
 Rockwell hardness testing principle is illustrated in the graph below;
Procedure

a) Make sure the temperature is within 10-35ₒC.

b) Chose the appropriate specimen support (flat or V-grooved) that supports the specimen
rigidly.
c) Make certain the crank is in unload position
d) Chose the correct Rockwell scale according the specimen material, hence the relevant
indenter; and total test force by using load wheel (table 1).

 Before start, large pointer in the dial face should be adjusted according to the table 2

e) Place the specimen and bring the indenter into contact with the test surface in a direction
perpendicular to the surface of velocity less than 2.5 mm/s by raising the anvil (slowly turn
the hand wheel clockwise). Movement of large pointer in the dial face is the indication for
proper contact
f) Obtaining preliminary load (10 kg): continue turning the hand wheel for required number of
revolutions of large pointer according to the table 2 (over travelling of the large pointer
should be avoided). (dwell time is 0.1 to 4 s).
g) Apply load by moving the crank in to the load position slowly (loading time is 1-8 s, and
dwell time is 2-6 s)
h) Unload the specimen by moving the crank back, and read the relevant dial for the result
i) Always take two or more readings on each test specimen, and get the average and roundup.
Minimum indentation gap is, approximately, 3 times the indented area or 2.5 times away from
an edge of the specimen
j) Interpretation of hardness number is done by writing the value followed by the scale: e.g. 64
HRC
k) Remove the minor load by lowering the anvil.
Websites:

1) Learn About Hardness Testing Basics | Newage Testing Instruments . 2015. Learn About
Hardness Testing Basics | Newage Testing Instruments . [ONLINE] Available
at:http://www.hardnesstesters.com/Applications/Hardness-Testing-Basics.aspx. [Accessed
17 July 2015]
2) Hardness test methods [SubsTech] . 2015. Hardness test methods [SubsTech] .
[ONLINE] Available
at:http://www.substech.com/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=hardness_test_methods.
[Accessed 17 July 2015].
3) Hardness. 2015. Hardness. [ONLINE] Available
at:http://www.calce.umd.edu/TSFA/Hardness_ad_.htm. [Accessed 17 July 2015].
4) Fundamentals of Machine Tools. 2015. Fundamentals of Machine Tools. [ONLINE]
Available at: http://www.waybuilder.net/free-
ed/Resources/Trades/Indust/machinist01/FundamentalsOfMachineTools.asp?iNum=
23. [Accessed 17 July 2015].
5) Fundamentals of Machine Tools. 2015. Fundamentals of Machine Tools. [ONLINE]
Available at: http://www.waybuilder.net/free-
ed/Resources/Trades/Indust/machinist01/FundamentalsOfMachineTools.asp?iNum=
23. [Accessed 17 July 2015].

Equations for calculation: