Hardness of Materials

 Hardness test - Measures the resistance of a material to

penetration by a sharp object.
 Macrohardness - Overall bulk hardness of materials
measured using loads >2 N.
 Microhardness Hardness of materials typically measured
using loads less than 2 N using such test as Knoop
(HK).
 Nano-hardness - Hardness of materials measured at 1–
10 nm length scale using extremely small (~100 µN)
forces.
 Hardness
• Hardness is a measure of a material’s resistance
to localized plastic deformation (a small dent or
scratch).
• Quantitative hardness techniques have been
developed where a small indenter is forced into
the surface of a material.
• The depth or size of the indentation is measured,
and corresponds to a hardness number.
• The softer the material, the larger and deeper the
indentation (and lower hardness number).

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 Hardness
• Resistance to permanently indenting the surface.
• Large hardness means:
--resistance to plastic deformation or cracking in
compression.
--better wear properties.
apply known force measure size
e.g., (1 to 1000g) of indent after
10mm sphere removing load

Smaller indents
D d mean larger
hardness.

most brasses easy to machine cutting nitrided

plastics Al alloys steels file hard tools steels diamond

increasing hardness
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Adapted from Fig. 6.18, Callister 6e. (Fig. 6.18 is adapted from G.F. Kinney, Engineering Properties and Applications of Plastics, p. 202, John Wiley and Sons, 1957.)
Hardness Testers

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Conversion of
Hardness
Scales

Also see: ASTM E140 - 07

Volume 03.01
Standard Hardness Conversion
Tables for Metals Relationship
Among Brinell Hardness, Vickers
Hardness, Rockwell Hardness,
Superficial Hardness, Knoop
Hardness, and Scleroscope
Hardness
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Correlation
between
Hardness and
Tensile
Strength
• Both hardness and tensile
strength are indicators of
a metal’s resistance to
plastic deformation.
• For cast iron, steel and
brass, the two are roughly
proportional.

• Tensile strength (psi) =

500*BHR 7
 fracture mechanics allows quantification of the
relationships between material properties, stress level, the
presence of crack-producing flaws, and crack propagation
mechanisms.
 Stress Concentration

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Figure 8.10 The three modes of crack surface displacement.
(a) Mode I, opening or tensile mode; (b) mode II, sliding
mode; and (c) mode III, tearing mode

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A plate of infinite width having a through-thickness crack

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Materials are often placed in service at elevated
temperatures and exposed to static mechanical stresses.
Deformation under such circumstances is termed creep. It
is observed in all materials types; for metals it becomes
important only for temperatures greater than about (
absolute melting temperature).

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Figure 8.30 Stress (logarithmic scale) versus
rupture lifetime (logarithmic scale) for a low
carbon–nickel alloy at three temperatures.
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Figure 8.33 (a) Polycrystalline turbine blade that was produced by a
conventional casting technique. High-temperature creep resistance is
improved as a result of an oriented columnar grain structure (b)
produced by a sophisticated directional solidification technique. Creep
resistance is further enhanced when single-crystal blades (c) are used.
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