EXPERIMENT NO.

6
ROCKWELL HARDNESS TEST

OBJECTIVE

 To determine the hardness of a material Rockwell hardness test.

DISCUSSION OF PRINCIPLES

The Rockwell tester has the capability of testing metals having a wide range of hardness. This
capability is obtained by using different combinations of load and penetrator. The two most common
combinations are 100 kg major load applied to a 1/16 diameter ball to give a B hardness number and
a 150 kg major load applied to a shaped diamond (brale) penetrator to give a C hardness number.
The C test is used for the harder materials such as cold worked or heat treated steel and the B test
for low carbon hot rolled steel and softer materials.
LIST OF APPARATUS:
1. MITUTOYO AR-10 HARDNESS TESTING MACHINE

2. DIAMOND INDENTER

3. LEVEL GAUGE
4. SPECIMEN
PROCEDURES:
1. Put the level gauge on the anvil to make sure it is leveled.

2. Put the specimen on the anvil and check its level.

3. Put the diamond indenter on the device.

4. Put the weights (150kg) on the slot intended for the imposed force at the back of the device.

5. Engage the testing device.

6. Load the imposed force.
7. Record the data.

8. Repeat the testing for another trial.

QUESTIONS:
1. Define Rockwell Hardness number.
It is the representation to represent hardness.

2. What are the main features of Rockwell Hardness Test?

Its commercial popularity arises from its speed, reliability, robustness, resolution and small
area of indentation.

3. Explain the importance of Rockwell Hardness to obtain an approximation of tensile

strength.
Rockwell hardness testing is a general method for measuring the bulk hardness of metallic and
polymer materials. Although hardness testing does not give a direct measurement of any
performance properties, hardness of a material correlates directly with its strength, wear
resistance, and other properties. Hardness testing is widely used for material evaluation
because of its simplicity and low cost relative to direct measurement of many properties. [1]

4. Differentiate the Brinell Hardness and Rockwell Hardness tests.

The Rockwell scale characterizes the indentation hardness of materials through the depth of
penetration of an indenter, loaded on a material sample and compared to the penetration in
some reference material. It is one of several definitions of hardness in materials science. It
involves the application of a minor load followed by a major load, and then noting the hardness
value directly from a dial. Its chief advantage is its ability to display hardness values directly,
thus obviating tedious calculations involved in other hardness measurement techniques. Also,
the relatively simple and inexpensive set-up enables its installation in college laboratories. [2]

The Brinell scale characterises the indentation hardness of materials through the scale of
penetration of an indenter, loaded on a material test-piece. It is one of several definitions of
hardness in materials science.[2]

Brinelling refers to surface fatigue caused by repeated impact or overloading. It is a common

cause of roller bearing failures, and loss of preload in bolted joints when a hardened washer is
not used. Engineers will use the Brinell hardness of materials in their calculations to avoid this
mode of failure. Fretting corrosion can cause a similar-looking kind of damage and is called
false brinelling since the mechanism is different. [2]

5. Under what conditions are most useful in Rockwell Hardness?

It is useful when testing small volumes of specimen.
DRAWING:

COMPUTATION
DISCUSSION OF EXPERIMENT
HARDNESS
Hardness is a measure of how resistant solid matter is to various kinds of permanent shape
change when a force is applied. Macroscopic hardness is generally characterized by
strong intermolecular bonds, but the behavior of solid materials under force is complex; therefore,
there are different measurements of hardness: scratch hardness, indentation hardness, and rebound
hardness.[4]
Scratch hardness 
Scratch hardness is the measure of how resistant a sample is to fracture or permanent plastic
deformation due to friction from a sharp object. The principle is that an object made of a harder
material will scratch an object made of a softer material. When testing coatings, scratch hardness
refers to the force necessary to cut through the film to the substrate. The most common test is Mohs
scale, which is used in mineralogy. One tool to make this measurement is the sclerometer.[3]
Another tool used to make these tests is the pocket hardness tester. This tool consists of a
scale arm with graduated markings attached to a four wheeled carriage. A scratch tool with a sharp
rim is mounted at a predetermined angle to the testing surface. In order to use it a weight of known
mass is added to the scale arm at one of the graduated markings, the tool is then drawn across the
test surface. The use of the weight and markings allows a known pressure to be applied without the
need for complicated machinery. [3]
Indentation hardness 
Indentation hardness measures the resistance of a sample to material deformation due to a
constant compression load from a sharp object; they are primarily used
in engineering and metallurgy fields. The tests work on the basic premise of measuring the critical
dimensions of an indentation left by a specifically dimensioned and loaded indenter. [3]
Common indentation hardness scales are Rockwell, Vickers, Shore, and Brinell.[3]
Rebound hardness 
Rebound hardness, also known as dynamic hardness, measures the height of the "bounce" of
a diamond-tipped hammer dropped from a fixed height onto a material. This type of hardness is
related to elasticity. The device used to take this measurement is known as a scleroscope. [4]
Two scales that measures rebound hardness are the Leeb rebound hardness test and Bennett
hardness scale.[3]
RECOMMENDATION:
I recommend that the device should be calibrated within every 12 months or one year. Failure
to do regular calibration could lead to inaccuracies and large percentage of errors during testing.

The experiment was done last May 27, 2013 but the device was due for calibration way back April 6,
2012.

Because of lack of proper calibration, the experiment was done with 10 as the starting value. In
which, the pointer should be set to 0 when no load is imposed.
CONCLUSION:
The Rockwell hardness tester used the diamond tip with 150kg imposed force to test the
specimen. The test resulted with the Rockwell Hardness Number of 6.5 on both trials.

REFERENCES:
1. http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20101204212828AA3TijZ
2. http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070212033533AA4vUKE
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardness
 Mapua Institute of Technology
School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering

ME136P/A1
Materials Testing and Processes

Experiment # 6
ROCKWELL HARDNESS TEST

NATIVIDAD, Richard Paul M. 05/27/2013

2011100208 06/03/2013
ME-2

Engr. Edward Ang

Professor