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Strength of Materials Laboratory

The document outlines various hardness tests used to evaluate the mechanical properties of metals, including Brinell, Rockwell, Vickers, and Knoop tests. Each test has specific methodologies, advantages, and limitations, such as the Brinell test being unsuitable for very hard materials and the Vickers test being slow but highly accurate. The document also includes a discussion section focusing on the relationship between hardness and metal types, factors affecting hardness, and potential experimental errors.

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12 views5 pages

Strength of Materials Laboratory

The document outlines various hardness tests used to evaluate the mechanical properties of metals, including Brinell, Rockwell, Vickers, and Knoop tests. Each test has specific methodologies, advantages, and limitations, such as the Brinell test being unsuitable for very hard materials and the Vickers test being slow but highly accurate. The document also includes a discussion section focusing on the relationship between hardness and metal types, factors affecting hardness, and potential experimental errors.

Uploaded by

Qonot Qonot
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Strength of Materials Laboratory 21

Strength of Materials Laboratory 22

Hardness Test
Object:
To study the mechanical properties under hardness test.

Theory:
The hardness test of a metal is generally performed to know its resistance against
indentation and abrasion. Though there are many tests to determine the hardness of
different materials. There are four types of hardness which are:-
1- Brinell's hardness test.
2- Rockwell's hardness test.
3- Vicker's hardness test.
4- Knoop's hardness test.

1. Brinell's hardness test


It is performed by pressing a steel ball into the test piece as shown in the Fig. (1) ,
the mean diameter of the indentation left on the surface of the specimen after the
removal of the lead is measured. Now the value of hardness is mathematically found
from the relation:
load on the ball P
B.H .N  
area of indentation Π D
2

D  D2  d 2 
where:
B.H.N (i.e. Brinell Hardness Number)
P= load applied in (Kg f).
D= diameter of the steel ball in (mm).
d= diameter of the steel indentation in (mm).
P

Fig (1) test piece


Strength of Materials Laboratory 23

The Brinell's hardness test is mostly used for determining the hardness of metallic
materials. This test is not recommended for material having B. H. N. above 630 and
also for very thin specimens. Moreover, it is a time consuming test and requires
expensive equipment. As the test leaves a large impression on the specimen, therefore
it can't be adopted in the industry.

2- Rockwell's hardness test:-


It is generally performed when quick and direct reading is desirable. This is also
performed when the materials have hardness, beyond the range of Brinall test the
loads for making indent are smaller, and thus make smaller and shallower indents. It
is because of these reasons industry.
In this test a standard indenter either of 1.58 mm diameter loaded with 100 Kg for
a cone indenter with 120 cones and 150 Kg f is employed the test has three scales of
hardness (A to C).
The ball indenters are generally made of hardness tool steel or tungsten carbide.
During the test, the specimen is placed on the anvil, and is raised till it becomes in
constant with the indentor a minor load of 10 kg f is applied on the specimen and the
small pointer indicates (set).
The depth of indentation in mm, read from small pointer, and the Rockwell
number is obtained, mathematically from the relation.
Rockwell B number

R.H.B  130 - depth of indentation in mm


0.002

and Rockwell C number

R.H.C  100  depth of indentation in mm


0.002

we most note:
1- The indenter and anvil should be clean and well placed.
2- The surface of the specimen should be flat, clean, dry, smooth and should be
placed perpendicular to the indenters.
3- The thickness of the specimen should be more than to time the depth of
indentation. If the specimen is curved in shape, than the indent should be made
of the concave side.
Strength of Materials Laboratory 24

4- The test should be carried out preferably a temperature of (27  + 2 C).


3- Vickers Hardness test
It is the most accurate test, which has a fairly continuous scale of hardness
(Vickers hardness number of 5 to 1500).
The test makes the use of a diamond square based pyramid indenter with 136 0
angle between the opposite faces. The load range is variable from (5 to 120 Kgf) in
steps of (5 Kgf).
A piston & a dashpot of oil are used for controlling the rate & duration of the
loading.
The test is performed by placing the specimen on the arivil & raised till it is close
to the indenter point. The load is then gradually applied to the indenter & then
removed. The diagonal of the square indentation is measured to (0.001 mm) length
now the (V.H.N) is obtained, mathematically, from the relation.

P 2P SIN θ/2 1.854 P


Vickers Hardness Number (V.H.N)   
A L2 L2
Where :-
P = Load applied in Kgf
A = Surface area of indentation in square mm.
L = Length of the diagonal in mm.
 = Angle between opposite face of diamond.
This test is very suitable for testing polished and hardness material or nitrided
surface due to small impression made on the test specimen. This test is accurate and is
suitable for metals as thin as 0.15 mm.
In spite of these advantages, the Vickers hardness test is not widely adopted
because of its being slow.

4- Knoop's Hardness
It is suitable for extremely thin metal plates exceptionally hard & brittle, very
shallow carburized or hitrided surface. This test in also performed whenever the
applied load is kept below 3-6 kgf.
In this test, a diamond pyramidal indenter with short depth diagonals in the ratio of
7:1 is used to indent on the specimen the length of the diagonal is read under
microscope, now the knoop's hardness number is obtained, mathematically, from the
relation:
Strength of Materials Laboratory 25

load in kg
Knoop's hardness number 
unrecovered projected area of the impression in mm 2
Apparatus used:
The testing machine used in this test is the same machine used in tensile and
compression tests

Discussion:
1. Discuss the relationship between the hardness and types of metals.
2. Discuss the factors that effects on hardness.
3. Discuss the errors in the experiment.

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