LAB3 HEAT TREATMENT

OF STEELS
 HARDNESS TEST
▪ Hardness is a characteristic of a material
▪ The resistance to indentation, and it is determined by measuring the permanent depth of the
indentation.
▪ Rockwell, Brinell, Vickers
➢ The Rockwell hardness test method, is the most commonly used hardness test method.
➢ HRB . . . . Copper alloys, soft steels, aluminum alloys, etc.
➢ HRC . . . . Steel, hard cast irons, case hardened steel and other materials harder than 100
HRB
T-T-T Diagram
 1045 Steel

0.5 in.
Microstructure BHN
Ferrite (α) 80
Coarse Pearlite (𝑃𝑐 ) 240
Medium Pearlite (𝑃𝑚 ) 280
Fine Pearlite(𝑃𝑓 ) 380
Martensite (M) 900(%C)0.45
Objective: determine heat treatment effect on
steel by measuring the hardness.

MAIN STEPS

Heat
Sectioning Grinding Polishing measuring
treating
ROCKWELL HARDNESS TO BRINELL HARDNESS (HB OR BHN)
CONVERSION
0.5 in
HARDNESS RESULTS
Heat treat 1 2 3 4 5 6

Original (HRB)
Water quench A (HRC)

Water quench (HRC)

Oil quench (HRC)

Air cool (HRB)

Furnace cool (HRB)
1045 STEEL AC 500X
1045 TA OQ 500X
1045 WQ 500X