1

TITLE :
Hardness Test
1.0 ABSTRACT
Hardness is the property of a material that allows it to withstand deformation caused by impacts.
Among the scaling methods used to measure the hardness of a material is Vickers hardness scale,
Rockwell hardness scale and Brinell hardness scale. There are many factors that determines the
hardness of a material, as example microstructure, processing conditions and composition. The aim of
hardness experiment is to form a relationship between the composition and hardness characteristics of
several metal samples.Examples are carbon steel and mild steel.
2.0 INTRODUCTION
Mechanical properties of materials play an important role in engineering field mainly to design
components or structures using suitable materials. The properties of the material is important to
ensure there will be no unacceptable situation occurred such as failure of the material while in
operation.
Hardness is a resistance of properties of materal to plastic deformation caused by the materials.
Steel ball or pyramid-shape diamond was used in this experiment to test hardness when it is pressed
onto its surface.There were three basic method of hardness test carried out on metal and alloy :
(a) Vickers Test
(b) Rockwell test
(c) Brinell test

Figure 1 (a) Vickers test

Figure 1 (b) Rockwell test

Figure 1 (c) Brinell test

Apparatus and Equipments :
Carbon steel, Mild steel, A set of Rockwell,Vickers and Brinnel Hardness test machine
3.0 OBJECTIVE :
To compare the hardness of the mild steel and carbon steel using three different hardness tests, which
are Rockwell Hardness test, Vickers Hardness test and Brinell Hardness test.

4.0 PROCEDURE
(a)Vickers Hardness Test
In this Hardness Test, an indenter of right pyramid on a square base, with an apex angle of 136
between opposite facets are used. The pyramid diamond is pressed into a well-prepared flat surface of
the metal under a known load, 10kg.It was maintained for about 15 seconds and then it was released.
This shape results in the depth of penetration, being 1/7 of indentation sixe, d. The Vickers Hardness
Number (VHN) is obtained by :

d2

d1

Figure 2 : Vickers Hardness Indenatation

VHN

Applied load
Surface area

136

2P
sin
d2

where

1.854 P / d 2 (estimated )

P = applied load (kg)

d =

(d 1+ d 2)
2

(mm)

(b)Rockwell Hardness Test

This test is the most common method used to measure hardness because of its simplicity.
Rockwell test differs from other test in depth of indentation and the size measured. The experiment
was started with applying a small intial load called the minor load (10kgf) to establish a reference
position for depth measurement and to penetrate through any surface scale. Then, the additional
penetration due to major load is measured as d. The test accuracy is enhanced by using a minor load.

There are different types of scales for major load. In this experiment, scale C, concavity which is a
cone diamond with corner 120 and load 150kgf was used.
Each of Rockwell Hardness Scale has most useful value around 100.An increase of one unit of regular
Rockwell hardness represent a decrease in penetration of 0.002 mm. Therefore, the Rockwell
Hardness , is

HRC = 100 -

d
0.002

HRB = 130 -

d
0.002

Where , d = concavity

(c)Brinell Hardness Test

In this Hardness Test, the hardest spherical intender with suitable diameter, D is forced into the
surface of the specimen for about 15 seconds. By using a microscope, the diameter of the resulting
indentation, d was measured.The range is around 2-6mm normally. The Brinell Hardness Number
(BHN) is calculated by :
BHN

Applied load
Area of concavity

= ________ P__________
D/2 [ D - (D - d)]
Where

P = applied load (kgf)

D = diameter of ball (mm)
d = diameter concavity effect (mm)
H = internal concavity effect (mm)
= D/2 [ D - (D - d)]

5.0 RESULTS
(a)Vickers Hardness Test
In the test, the applied load is 10kgf.
Mild steel
Reading
1
2
3
Average

d1
390.5
389.7
384.7
388.3

d2
396.3
386.8
393.2
392.1

VHN
120
123
123
122

d1
323.6
319.4
312.0
318.3

d2
311.9
319.5
313.1
314.8

VHN
184.0
182.0
190.0
185.3

Carbon steel
Reading
1
2
3
Average

(b)Rockwell Hardness Test

Scale C was used as guidance in this experiment, which includes the diamond core indicator and a
major load of 150kgf.
Reading of HRC
1
2
3
Average

Mild Steel
45.8
43.0
46.0
44.9

Carbon Steel
62.0
59.0
59.4
60.1

(c)Brinell Hardness Test

In this experiment, the diameter of steel ball used and 1000kgf is used.
Specimen
Mild steel
Carbon Steel

d/mm
BHN
d/mm
BHN

1
3.45
104
2.75
165

2
3.40
107
2.70
171

3
3.45
104
2.80
159

Average
3.43
105
2.75
165

6.0 DISCUSSION
Vickers Test have shown the study of carbon and mild steel. From the result obtained, carbon steel
shows higher strength than mild steel. VHN for carbon steel is 185.3 compared to mild steel
which is only 122. The increase in carbon content would eventually cause the increase in the
hardness of a material. The lattice defects and irregularities are caused by substitutions atoms and
vacancies in the lattice. By this experiment, we could see that higher carbon content lowers the
temperature resistance and melting point.
Rockwell Test have helped us on how to find HRC for Carbon steel, which is 60.1 that are much
higher than mild steel which is only 44.9.When fabricating steel for Carbon steel, the steel will
undergo high heat that causes the lattice arrangement in Carbon steel differ from that of mild
steel. Hence, causing it to be harder than mild steel.
From Brinell Test, we could observe that carbon steel has higher BHN than mild steel. Carbon
steel has BHN of 165 compared to that of mild steel which is only 105. This test clearly shows the
differences between carbon and mild steel.

7.0 CONCLUSION
From this experiment ,we can conclude that Carbon steel is hardest among the 2 steel compared.
The order of hardness of steels arranged in decreasing order is shown below :
Carbon Steel > Mild Steel

TITLE :

Charpy Impact Test

1.0 INTRODUCTION
The Charpy Impact Test is the commonly used test to determine materials resistance to the
impact where a sharp stress raiser is present. The measure of the ability of a material to absorb
energy after fracture is called toughness.
Material that experiences very small or no plastic deformation upon fracture is called brittle
whereas material material that experience large deformation upon fracture is called ductile.The
fracture surface for brittle material, which has low-energy impact failure are smooth and in
metals have crystal appearance. However, for ductile material which has high energy fracture has
regions where the fracture is inclined about 45 to the tensile stress. It has rougher, more highly
appearance called fibrous fracture.

45

40 mm

30

2 mm
10 mm
Figure 1
The specimens are arranged as shown in figure 1 for this Charpy Impact test. Every specimens
prepared will have notch at the centre of the specimen and the hammer will clout at the stress
concentration point (region of notch). The hammer was released from a pecific height which the
hammer intial energy is 300J . The energy absorbed by the specimens after the experiment was
shown in scale and it is recorded.
Apparatus and Equipment :
Charpy testing machine, Carbon steel and Mild steel.

2.0 OBJECTIVE :

To determine the resistance of carbon steel and mild steel against sudden impact through
Charpy Impact test.
3.0 PROCEDURE:
1.The load is applied as an impact blow from a weighted pendulum hammer that is released
from a cocked position at a fixed height so the intial energy is fixed.
2.The specimen, carbon steel is placed at the base of the machine. Upon release, a knife edge
mounted on the pendulum strikes and fractures the specimen at the notch. This acts as a
point of stress concentration for high velocity impact blow.
3.After the weighted pendulum hammer returned to its original position, the specimen is
removed from the vice and the fracture surface id observed. The value of energy absorbed
was recorded as shown in Charpy machine.
4. The steps are repeated using the mild steel as the new test subject.

4.0 RESULTS:
Specimen

Energy absorbed / J

Remarks

Mild Steel

299

Ductile

Carbon Steel

28

Brittle

5.0 DISCUSSION:
From the observation we made, the mild steel does not split into two. There was a broken
piece still partially attached to each other. This is caused by plastic deformation. Figure 2
below shows the fracture surface of the mild steel.

Figure 2: Mild steel

Meanwhile, carbon steel is completely broken into two separate pieces. This surface appears
to be a granular fracture with shiny texture and large shining facets. Figure 3 below shows the
fracture surface of the carbon steel.

Figure 3: Carbon steel

Based on the result obtained, it is obvious that the mild steel has higher ductility than carbon
steel. The presence of carbon in carbon steel has minimized its ability to absorb energy from
the impact. Therefore, carbon steel has highet brittility than mild steel. Moreover, the
presence of carbon in specific metals will affect the mechcanial properties such as strength
and ductility.
6.0 CONCLUSION
Based on the result and discussion, Mild steel is more ductile than carbon steel. Besides that, mild
steel also has higher toughness compared to carbon steel.
7.0 REFERENCE

1. British Standard, 131 Part 2 (1959)

2. British Standard, 427 : 1961
3. Callister, William D. Fundamentals of Materials Science and Engineering : An
Inegrated Approach, 2nd edition, New Jersey: John Wiley and Sons Inc., 2005.
4. British Standard, 420 : 1962
5. British Standard, 131, Part 2 : 1959
6. Cliffe Technical Metallurgy, pg 150 154