Materials Technology

Material Testing
 Overview – Testing Materials
Hardness Testing
Measures the materials resistance to indentation or scratching

Hardness Value
Read Directly From
Dial
Table Height
Indenter Adjustment

Test Component
Placed on Table
Activating lever

Direct Reading Hardness Testing

Machine (Vickers or Brinell)
 Overview – Testing Materials
Vickers Hardness Testing
Measures the materials resistance to indentation or scratching

A square pyramid shaped

indenter (point angle 136°) is
forced into the specimen. The
diagonal length of the indented
square is measured. This
measurement is taken by a
special microscope for accuracy.
It is then converted into a
Vickers hardness
number
 Overview – Testing Materials
Brinell Hardness Testing
Measures the materials resistance to indentation or scratching

The Brinell hardness test

uses a hardened steel or
tungsten carbide ball of
10mm, 5mm or 1mm
diameter. The diameter of
the indentation is measured
and it is used to indicate the
hardness of the material
 Overview – Testing Materials`
Simple Workshop Test (Hardness)
The Plunger is dropped Heavy Plunger
from a 500mm height
onto different materials.
The indentations on
each test piece are
measured.
The deeper the Clear Acrylic Tube
indentation – the softer
the material

Specimen to be Tested
Steel Ball Bearing
 Overview – Testing Materials
Izod Impact Test
Measures a materials toughness
Scale to read energy
Start Position
absorbed in breaking
of Pendulum
the specimen

Test Specimen
Pendulum
Held Vertically

Vice
 Overview – Testing Materials`
Izod Impact Test
Measures a materials toughness
Pendulum

•The Specimen is held

vertically in a vice

•The notch on the

specimen faces the
pendulum

•The striking energy of

the pendulum is 167
Vice Joules

Specimen
 Overview – Testing Materials`
Charpy Impact Test
Measures a materials toughness
Pendulum

•The Specimen is held

horizontally – between
two supports
•The notch on the
specimen faces away
from the pendulum
•The striking energy of
the pendulum is 300
Support Joules

Specimen
 Overview – Testing Materials`
Simple Workshop Test (Toughness)
Hammer
This is another
comparative test.
The specimen pieces Vice
are held vertically in a
vice and hit with a
hammer
It is important to wear a
face shield or goggles
and for spectators to
stand well back.
Brittle materials will Specimen
fracture and possibly
splinter. Ductile Material
 Overview – Testing Materials`
`
Simple Workshop Test (Deflection)
This is another Weights
comparative test Platform

The specimen is placed on

the supports
Weights are placed on the
platform, pushing the
plunger down causing the Plunger
specimen to deflect Specimen

Specimens can be tested

to destruction or their
deflection is measured Supports
when the same weight is
applied to each in turn
 Overview – Testing Materials`
Tensile Testing
Measures a materials tensile strength

Clamps for Holding

Dial Gauge to Measure Specimen
Extension of Specimen

Simple Tensile Testing Machine

 Overview – Testing Materials`
Simple Workshop Test (Stiffness)
Clamped
Deflection

This is a comparative
test. The material to be
tested is clamped to a
bench.
Weights are applied to
the free end.
Specimen
The amount of
deflection of each
material is measured Applied Weights
and compared with
each other