Mechanical properties of
Materials
HARDNESS TESTING
What is Hardness?
Hardness is the property of a material that enables it to resist
plastic deformation, usually by penetration. However, the term
hardness may also refer to resistance to bending, scratching,
abrasion or cutting.
Measurement of Hardness:-
Hardness is not an intrinsic material property dictated by
precise definitions in terms of fundamental units of mass,
length and time.
A hardness property value is the result of a defined
measurement procedure.
Types of Hardness Tests
There are three principal standard test methods for expressing
the relationship between hardness and the size of the
impression, these being:-
Brinell Hardness Test,
Vickers Hardness Test, and
Rockwell Hardness Test.
• For practical and calibration reasons, each of these methods
is divided into a range of scales, defined by a combination of
applied load and indenter geometry.
Principle of Load Application
Indentation
The Brinell Hardness Test
Fig: Brinell Hardness Test
Principle:-
•The Brinell hardness test method consists of indenting the
test material with a 2.5/5.0/10 mm diameter hardened steel
or carbide ball subjected to a load of
250/500/750/1000/3000 kg.
•For softer materials the load can be reduced to avoid
excessive indentation.
•The full load is normally applied for 10 to 15 seconds in
the case of iron and steel and for at least 30 seconds in the
case of other metals.
•The diameter of the indentation left in the test material is
measured with a low powered microscope.
Brinell Hardness Number :-
• The Brinell harness number is calculated by dividing the load
applied by the surface area of the indentation.
• A well structured Brinell hardness number reveals the test
conditions, and looks like this, "75 HB 10/500/30" which
means that a Brinell Hardness of 75 was obtained using a
10mm diameter hardened steel with a 500 kilogram load
applied for a period of 30 seconds.
Advantages :-
•Compared to the other hardness test methods, the Brinell ball
makes the deepest and widest indentation, so the test
averages the hardness over a wider amount of material, which
will more accurately account for multiple grain structures and
any irregularities in the uniformity of the material.
•This method is the best for achieving the bulk or macro-
hardness of a material, particularly those materials with
heterogeneous structures.
Vickers Hardness Test
Principle:-
The Vickers hardness test method consists of indenting
the test material with a diamond indenter, in the form of a
right pyramid with a square base and an angle of 136
degrees between opposite faces subjected to a load of 1
to 100 kgf.
Vickers Hardness Number:-
The Vickers hardness number is the quotient obtained by
dividing the kgf load by the square mm area of indentation.
VHN = 1.8544 * P / d2
The Vickers hardness should be reported like 800 HV/10, which
means a Vickers hardness of 800, was obtained using a 10 kgf
force.
Advantages :-
• Small size of indenter: does not damage the sample.
• Diamond indenter: does not deform.
• Contact angle remains same.
• Thin materials can be tested.
• Extremely accurate readings can be taken, and just one type
of indenter is used for all types of metals and surface
treatments.
Disadvantages :-
• Not recommended for heterogeneous material.
• Good surface polish required.
• Time consuming.
Rockwell Hardness Test
Principle:-
The Rockwell hardness test
method consists of indenting
the test material with a
diamond cone or hardened
steel ball indenter.
Fig. [Link] Principle
Advantages :-
• Both steel n Diamond indenters: adv. of Brinell n Vickers tests.
• Min load 60kg: both thick as well thin material can be tested.
• Direct Rockwell hardness number readout.
• Rapid testing time.
Disadvantages :-
• Disadvantages include many arbitrary non-related scales and
possible effects from the specimen support anvil.
Factors contributing to brittle type failure------
Tri-axial stress,
Low temperature,
High strain rate.
Tri-axial state develops at root of notch, hence
notched specimens are used in impact test.
Tendency of material to break in brittle manner is in
presence of notches is notch sensitivity.
Temp. at which ductile material fails in brittle manner
is DBTT.
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•Std specimen --------
• 10x10x55 mm
• V-notch
• 450 included angle
• 0.25 mm radius
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•Charpy test is widely used in United States.
Kinetic energy at impact = potential energy at
before it’s release.
• Arrangement is as simply supported beam, span
of 40mm.
• At low temp these tests indicate whether
adequate toughness is maintained or not.
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Transition temperature from ductile to brittle fracture
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Temp at which mode fracture changes is TRANSITION
TEMP.
It depends on grain size, alloying elements, impurities,
strain hardening rate.
BCC structure have more transition tempe than FCC
Coarse grained > fine grained
Plain c steels > alloying elements
Increase in %c , transition temp increases.
Alloying elements Ni, Mn lower the transition temp.
P sharply increases transition temp.
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Fatigue test
Upper surface of material
under tension & lower under
compressions with neutral
axis at centre
Fatigue fracture appearance
Fatigue Curve for ferrous & non-ferrous
metals
•Specimen is rotated by
means of high speed
motor.
•Fatigue limit OR
endurance limit---
Is the stress at which
fracture does not occurs
for infinite no. of cycles.
Method is to subject
specimen at const. temp
& measuring deformation
with time.
Creep is slow &
progressive deformation
of a material with time
at const stress at temp
above 0.4 tm.
Creep is thermally
activated process.
Creep strength is highest
stress that material can
withstand for a specified
time without exceeding
deformation.