• HARDNESS TESTING

• Hardness

• Resistance to plastic deformation or scratch

SCALE ABBREVATION LOAD INDENTER USE

120° diamond
A HRA 60 kgf
cone†

1⁄
16-inch-diameter
B HRB 100 kgf (1.588 mm) steel
sphere

C HRC 150 kgf 120° diamond cone

• Brinell Hardness testing machine
• P = applied force (kgf)
• D = diameter of indenter (mm)
• d = diameter of indentation (mm)
• 10 millimetres (0.39 in) diameter steel ball
• TS (Mpa)=3.45x HB
• TS(psi)=500xHB
• Example: 305 HB 2.5 / 187.5 / 20: Brinell hardness
305, determined with ball penetrator 2.5mm, 1,839N
test load and 20 seconds load application time
• Vickers hardness testing
 xxxHVyy/zz 210 HV50/30

• 210 HV50/30 Vickers hardness 210, test load 490.5N, test time 30 seconds
• Pros and cons of brinell
• High load can be generated by simple method
• Value of brinel hardness can be multiplied by
simple coefficient to get rough tensile strength
• Test on cylindrical sample not possible.
• Use of microscope.
• Can be used for composite material
• Pros and cons of rockwell
• nor is there one for steel sheets thinner than
0.15mm.

• Direct value of hardness

• it is less sensitive to rough surfaces