Hardness Testing
1, which explicitly shows the non-
The simplest definition of hardness is that it is a
measure of the resistance offered by a material to being
penetrated\indented by a much harder indenter. The
resistance to indentation can be due to the plastic
deformation (as in metals and alloys), elastic de-
formation (as in rubber), elastic–plastic deformation
(as in ceramics), or even partly due to energy expended
in crack formation and propagation (as in brittle
materials like glass). The earliest method of hardness
testing was based on Mohs scale, which consists of
10 minerals arranged in order from 1 (softest) to 10
(hardest), and in this scale each mineral will scratch
the one below it. However, this qualitative method has
given way to indentation methods, which measure
either the depth of penetration or the dimension
(diagonal or diameter) of the indentation. In the
indentation method, the hardness is obtained as the
ratio of the applied load to area of the indentation.
The Mohs scale of hardness is related to indentation
Figure 1
Correlation of Mohs scratch hardness numbers with
indentation hardness values.
hardness, Fig.
linearity of Mohs scale. Given the fact that most of
the currently available hardness testers are based
on the indentation technique, this article will confine
itself to presenting the features, advantages, and limi-
tations of indentation-based hardness tests.
1. Macrohardness Testing
1.1 Rockwell Hardness Testing
In a Rockwell hardness test, initially a minor load of
10 N is applied and the zero datum position is
established. The major load (60, 100, or 150 N) is then
applied for a specific period (a few seconds) and
removed, leaving the minor load applied. The resulting
Rockwell hardness number (as seen on the dial or as a
digital output), is inversely related to the additional
depth to which the indenter was forced by the major
load, beyond the depth resulting from the previously
applied minor load.
The standard Rockwell hardness scales, along with
information on the type of indenter, the magnitude of
the major load, and also typical applications for each
of the hardness scales, as defined by ASTM standard
E18 (1984), are presented in Table 1. In all cases, the
minor load is 10 N. It is clear from Table 1 that the
hardness of a wide range of materials can be estimated
using the Rockwell hardness tester.
A widely used variant of the Rockwell hardness test
is the superficial Rockwell test, wherein the minor load
is 3 N and the major loads are 15, 30, or 45 N. Further
details on the Rockwell superficial hardness scales are
available in the relevant ASTM standards (ASTM
1984).
The Rockwell hardness values are expressed as a
combination of hardness number and a scale symbol
representing the indenter and the minor and major
loads. For example, 64 HRC represents the Rockwell
hardness number of 64 on the Rockwell C scale (see
Table 1), while 80 HRB represents a Rockwell hard-
ness number of 80 on the Rockwell B scale. Similarly,
81 HR 30 N indicates a Rockwell hardness number of
81 on the Rockwell 30 N scale. Rockwell hardness tests
are used for determining the hardness of most metals
and alloys, ranging from the softest bearing materials
to the hardest steels.
1.2 Brinell Hardness Testing
The Brinell hardness test consists of applying a
constant load, usually in the range 500–3000 N, for a
specified period of time (10–30 s) using a 5 or 10 mm
diameter hardened steel or tungsten carbide ball on
the flat surface of a work piece. The Brinell hardness
number (HB) is then obtained as:
P
HB l (1)
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