Hardness Testing
Abstract
This experiment will explain what the Rockwell hardening test is and why it is used, how the experiment was conducted, data that was found, and the importance of testing the hardness of materials. This experiment explains and proves how the hardness of materials can be increased by alloying and heat treating.
Intro – Rockwell Hardness Testing
Soft and hard qualities exist in materials. In materials, hardness measures the ability of a material to resist scratching, indentation, or penetration. Hardness cannot be expressed in terms of defined units; it is the result of a defined measurement procedure. It is a complex material property which cannot be related to basic properties. Tests measuring resistance to bending, cutting, and scratching have been used to assess the hardness of materials. Three separate but standard test methods are used to express the relationship between hardness and the size of the indentation: Brinell, Vickers, and Rockwell. Hardness tests are one of the most commonly used measuring devices to measure mechanical properties because they are relatively easy to perform and typically do not cause destruction.
Figure 2: The above figure shows the principle of the Rockwell Hardness Test.
Figure 2: The above figure shows the principle of the Rockwell Hardness Test.
The objective of this experiment was to test the hardness of various materials. The Rockwell Hardness Test was used in this experiment and consisted of indenting each of the materials with a steel ball indenter or diamond cone. The indenter is fixed in the testing machine and is forced into the material at a preliminary load that corresponds to the scale in use. When equilibrium has been achieved, the testing machine follows the movement of the indenter and responds to the change in depth of penetration. On top of the preliminary load there is the major load. Together the loads create the total load that causes a permanent increase in depth of penetration from the initial
This experiment will explain what the Rockwell hardening test is and why it is used, how the experiment was conducted, data that was found, and the importance of testing the hardness of materials. This experiment explains and proves how the hardness of materials can be increased by alloying and heat treating.
Intro – Rockwell Hardness Testing
Soft and hard qualities exist in materials. In materials, hardness measures the ability of a material to resist scratching, indentation, or penetration. Hardness cannot be expressed in terms of defined units; it is the result of a defined measurement procedure. It is a complex material property which cannot be related to basic properties. Tests measuring resistance to bending, cutting, and scratching have been used to assess the hardness of materials. Three separate but standard test methods are used to express the relationship between hardness and the size of the indentation: Brinell, Vickers, and Rockwell. Hardness tests are one of the most commonly used measuring devices to measure mechanical properties because they are relatively easy to perform and typically do not cause destruction.
Figure 2: The above figure shows the principle of the Rockwell Hardness Test.
Figure 2: The above figure shows the principle of the Rockwell Hardness Test.
The objective of this experiment was to test the hardness of various materials. The Rockwell Hardness Test was used in this experiment and consisted of indenting each of the materials with a steel ball indenter or diamond cone. The indenter is fixed in the testing machine and is forced into the material at a preliminary load that corresponds to the scale in use. When equilibrium has been achieved, the testing machine follows the movement of the indenter and responds to the change in depth of penetration. On top of the preliminary load there is the major load. Together the loads create the total load that causes a permanent increase in depth of penetration from the initial