TITLE:

Hardness testing of metallic materials

OBJECTIVES:
To determine the hardness of metallic materials by using the Rockwell scale.
INTRODUCTION:
The Hardness test measures the resistance to penetration of the surface of a material by a hard
object. There are three different test types which are used to measure Hardness of a material.
1. Vickerss Hardness Test
2. Brinell Hardness Test
3. Rockwell Hardness Test
Brinell hardness test is more accurate than Rockwell hardness test.
The Rockwell hardness test method is defined as a most commonly used hardness test method, as
test is fast, inexpensive and relatively nondestructive, leaving only a small indentation in the
material. This test is not destructive like tensile test.The Rockwell hardness test uses a small
diameter steel ball for soft materials and a diamond cone or brale for harder materials. The depth of
penetration of the indenter is automatically measured by the testing machine and converted to a
Rockwell hardness number ( HR). The Rockwell harness test can provide important information
about metallic materials, such as the tensile strength, wear resistance and ductility. To calculate
hardness of steel diamond is used as well as to calculate hardness of soft materials like Aluminum
uses tungsten carbide indenter.
The purpose of this experiment is to study the hardness of different types of materials, and to
understand the significance of this property in material.

THEORY:
Hardness is dependent on ductility, elastic stiffness, plasticity, strain, strength, toughness,
viscoelasticity, and viscosity. Hardness is a measure of how resistant solid matter is to various kinds
of permanent shape change when a compressive force is applied. Some materials, such as metal, are
harder than others.
The Rockwell hardness test method consists of indenting the test material with a diamond cone or
hardened steel ball indenter. The indenter is forced into the test material under a preliminary minor
load F0 (Fig. 1A) usually 10 kgf. When equilibrium has been reached, an indicating device, which
follows the movements of the indenter and so responds to changes in depth of penetration of the
indenter is set to a datum position. While the preliminary minor load is still applied an additional
major load is applied with resulting increase in penetration (Fig. 1B). When equilibrium has again
been reach, the additional major load is removed but the preliminary minor load is still maintained.
Removal of the additional major load allows a partial recovery, so reducing the depth of penetration
(Fig. 1C). The permanent increase in depth of penetration, resulting from the application and
removal of the additional major load is used to calculate the Rockwell hardness number.
 HR = E - e

F0 = preliminary minor load in kgf

F1 = additional major load in kgf
F = total load in kgf
e = permanent increase in depth of penetration due to major load F1 measured in units of 0.002 mm
E = a constant depending on form of indenter: 100 units for diamond indenter, 130 units for steel
ball indenter
HR = Rockwell hardness number
D = diameter of steel ball

Principal of the Rockwell Test

Position the surface area to be measured close to the indenter.
Applied the minor load and a zero reference position is established
The major load is applied for a specified time period (dwell time) beyond zero
The major load is released leaving the minor load applied.
The Rockwell number represents the difference in depth from the zero reference position as a result
of the applied major load. Deeper indentation softer material the dial contains 100 divisions, each
division representing a penetration of 0.002 mm.

MATERIAL AND APPARATUS:

Diamond spherical indenter
Rockwell hardness tester
Material
Sand papers
Specimen support
specimen
 PROCEDURE:
Test piece preparation

Top and bottom surfaces should be well aligned and cleaned from any foreign matter.
During preparation, avoid heat generation, cold work etc. that cause alternation of properties.
Minimum thickness , generally , should be 10 times the depth of indentation
Process
Testing temperature should be within 10-350 C and the temperature should not adversely
affect the results.

Top and bottom surfaces of the test pieces were cleaned and well aligned from any foreign matter.
Crank was put to the unload position
Hard cast iron was selected as the specimen that support specimen rigidly.
Scales were set according to the scale symbol C in table 1
Large pointer in the dial face was adjusted according to the table 2
The specimen was placed on the testing table
The indenter was brought into contact with the test surface in a direction perpendicular to the
surface of velocity less than 2.5mm by raising the anvil (slowly the hand wheel was turned
clockwise)
Obtaining preliminary load (10 kg ) turning the hand wheel for required number of
revolutions of large pointer was continued until the smaller pointer reached the reddish point
of the small scale avoiding the over travelling of the large pointer. (dwell time is 0.1 to 4s)
Load was applied by moving the crank into the load position slowly
The specimen was unloaded by moving the crank back and the relevant dial was read for the results
Four readings were taken on each test specimen and the average was calculated
Interpretation of hardness number was done by writing the value followed by the scale
The minor load was removed by lowering the anvil
CALCULATION:

sample 1st value 2nd value 3rd 4th Average

value value hardness
number
Cast iron 76HRC 75.5HRC 72HRC 71HRC 72.625HRC
Tempered 67HRC 68HRC 68HRC 68HRC 67.75HRC
steel

Cast iron average hardness number = (76+7505+72+71)/4

= 72.625HRC
Tempered steel average hardness number =( 67+68+68+68)/4
67.75HRC
HR = 100=h/0.002
h =(100-HR) * 0.002

HR =Hardness number
h = Depth (mm)
For cast iron,
h =(100-72.625) * 0.002 = 0.05475
For tempered steel,
h =(100-67.75) * 0.002 =0.0645mm
RESULT:

HRC test results:

sample 1st value 2nd value 3rd 4th Average

value value hardness
number
Cast iron 76HRC 75.5HRC 72HRC 71HRC 72.625HRC
Tempered 67HRC 68HRC 68HRC 68HRC 67.75HRC
steel

SAMPLE DEPTH (mm)

Cast iron 0.05475
Tempered steel 0.0645

CONCLUSION:
Rockwell hardness test is an indentation hardness test using a verified machine, it check its
resistance for the indentation. The Rockwell test is generally easier to perform, and more accurate. It
gives the reading directly from the scale.
Advantages of the Rockwell hardness method include the direct Rockwell hardness number
readout and rapid testing time. Disadvantages include many arbitrary non related scales and
possible effects from the specimen support anvil.
Observation of this experiment showed that the cast iron has a greater hardness than the quenched
steel.

REFERANCES:
http://www.gordonengland.co.uk/hardness/rockwell.htm (2015)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockwell_scale (2015)
https://www.engineersedge.com/material_science/hardness.htm (2015)
http://www.slideshare.net/ (2015)