MIME 1650 Laboratory 4 Hardness Test

Objective
The objective of this lab is to introduce the engineer to hardness testing as a practice, which is essential in the manufacturing industry, with particular interest in metals.

Abstract
In this experiment, investigation of the hardness of metals was carried out, using steel and aluminum as the test metals. In addition to these, a test of the hardness of a steel weld nugget which undergoes crystal deformation after welding was carried out. The main methods used to carry out these testing included :-The Brinell Test, the Rockwell Test and Micro-hardness Vickers Test. Each of these tools had their own standards of accuracy when it came to measuring the hardness of the steel. For the Brinell test, a block of aluminum was the test sample. For the Rock well test, three samples of air water and oil cooled steel were used and finally for the Micro hardness test, the weld nugget formed by welding two sheets of steel was the test sample. The results were then analyzed alongside expected values in order to determine the accuracy and relevance of the tests.

Introduction
In this experiment we learned how to do various hardness tests. Hardness of a metal is how much the metal can resist plastic deformation caused by penetration. Hardness is very essential to engineers the design face . It is the property of a metal that enables it to resist permanent deformation. Harness can be obtained at various levels/scales macro micro or nano depending on the areas of application. A hardness value is obtained by measuring the depth or area of an indentation left by an indenter of a

certain shape, applying a given force for a specific period. In this lab the test methods performed were: - the Brinell Test, Rockwell Test and Vickers Micro hardness Test. It is essential to an engineer to know the hardness of his products in order to determine its application in the real world. With this knowledge therefore one can easily make sure that a product will be used for the right purpose and setting.

Methodology
We used different hardness test to discover which test is better for a specific material with a defined shape. First was the Brinell test to find out how hard Aluminum is. The next test we performed was the Rockwell test. In this test we found the hardness of air, water and oil cooled steel. The last test I performed was the Micro-hardness Vickers test. This test was the most time consuming but the most precise and more accurate. Using the various formulas presented for the Brinell and Rockwell a given hardness value was obtained.

Procedure: Supplies:
Weld sample Aluminum block Water cooled, oil cooled and air cooled steel cylinders Rockwell testing machine Brinell testing machine

Vickers Micro-hardness testing machine

Procedures:
To Rockwell test: 1. Clear the sample surface. If surface is rough, grind it. 2. Select the appropriate indenter and load for HRB or HRC (if in doubt choose brale, then change if necessary). Record indenter type and load. 3. Apply the minor load (preload) by slowly raising the anvil until the contact between the indenter and sample surface is made and the needle is set at the green dot. 4. Adjust the zero (set point) by turning the collar wheel 5. Apply the major load (test load) by releasing the load lever arm. Allow the needle to come to a complete stop. This may take 10 to 15 seconds 6. Release the Major load by resetting the load lever arm. Read appropriate scale. 7. Record the hardness value in either HRB or HRC 8. Unload by lowering the anvil. 9. Repeat the measurement at other locations for three trails. 10. Calculate the hardness using the equation 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 To Brinell Test: 1. Adjust load to desired amount 2. Place sample on anvil 3. Raise until sample is touching 10 mm ball 4. Pull load handle and HOLD for 15-20 seconds 5. Unload by lowering sample 6. Measure diameter of indentation in measuring device 7. Repeat the measurement for three trials 8. Use two ways to get Brinell Hardness Number (HRB): 9. Check from the attached table. 10. Use formula to calculate. HB=(Load (kgf))/(Surface Area of indentation (mm))=P/((D/2)(D - (D-d)^)) Where D: Diameter of the ball indenter d: P: Diameter at the rim of the permanent impression Load

To Vickers Micro-hardness Test: 1. Test Parameters Load: 200 g Dwell Time 15 sec 2. Tester Setup

 Switch the STAND BY on. (Right one on tester back) Model Setup: Press DWELL/ENTER to appear setup model. Model 1 Dwelling Time setting: press DC or INC to set dwell time to 15 sec. Then press ENTER to fix your setting. Dont change the Dwelling Time if it is already set correctly. Please dont change other models. Turn LOAD SELECTOR KNOB to 200 gf. Close 2 measuring lines and press RESET button and hold 1 sec to complete zero setup. Press HV/HK button to HV light is on. If you want to change lighting, hold LIGHT and press INC or DEC to desired lighting. Then press ENTER to fix it. CAUTION: Before you operate the tester, double check parameters. 3. Install Sample Turn the turret to let object lens and indenter away from center. Install the sample to INCLINING DEVICE. Try to move sample to let whole test area go thorough. Otherwise return STAGE to proper position. 4. Indenting Use10 object lens to determine test point. Focus your sample. Always Keep the MAIN LINE in the centerline of circle. Test Points: There are three different locations in your specimen. They are Weld Nugget, Heat Affected Zone and Base Metal. In each zone make

three indentations. The distance between two indentations must be at least 4 times more than the diagonal length. After you choose the test point, press START. The loading light will be on. After the loading light is off, go to step 5 -- measurement. 1. Measurement Close 2 measuring lines and press RESET button and hold 1 sec to Complete zero setup. Press the TURN key and turn the large lens (40) to center location. Measuring an indentation: o Adjust the inner edge of Main line to touch the left edge of the Indentation. o Turn the right knob to adjust the outer edge of the secondary line to touch the right edge of the indentation to get D1. (See following figures) o Press the READ button. o Rotate the microscopy 90 degree and use the same procedure to measure D2. o Press READ button again. You will get a HV value in the front panel. o Measure three times and record the values. Repeat step 4 and 5 until you get all of 9 indentations and hardness data. Take the sample out. Switch off the STAND-BY and cover tester.

Calculate the hardness using the equation HV = (2Fsin(136/2))/d 1.854(F/d) F= Load in kgf d = Arithmetic mean of the two diagonals, d1 and d2 in mm HV = Vickers hardness

Data
For specific values refer to appendices E, F, and G

Brinell Test According to the experiment, a block of Aluminum receives an indentation of diameter 4.67 mm to 4.69mm. Approximately 165 HB.

Rockwell Test Load is 150 Kg Indenter is a diamond cone Hardness was found to be roughly 100 HR

Micro-hardness Vickers Test Load is 200 gf Dwell time is 15 seconds Weld nugget hardness was 151.36 Heat affected zone hardness was 123.47 Base metal hardness was 90.67HV

Results
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In this experiment by using the Rockwell test we found that air-cooled steel is somewhat similar to water-cooled and oil cooled steel. However this information is inconsistent with the information in Materials Science and Engineering an Introduction sixth edition book. This is because the machine wasnt calibrated correctly during the experiment. When steel is cooled faster, the carbon gets trapped in the interstitial sites of the lattice and distorts it to a body centered tetragonal this elongation ( on one side) strains the lattice and makes it harder. When we used the Brinell test it was not as accurate but fell in the required range. It was consistent with the formula value. The reason for any error may have been because the machine was very old and when we set the load to 3000 Kg it only reached 2500 Kg. On performing the Micro hardness Vickers Test I found it was both very accurate and precise. However, it is very time consuming. This test also showed that the weld nugget was the hardest, the heat affected zone was the second hardest, and the weakest was the base metal. The Micro-hardness Vickers test is effective when measuring the hardness of a very small area. This test is important for engineers to understand so they can test weld strength which plays a great role in the design of finished products.

Discussion and Conclusion

The Brinell test isnt recommended for materials harder than HB 630 because it will cause errors introduced by the deformation of the ball indenter itself. Another precaution when using the Brinell test is that the minimum thickness of the test sample should be at least 10 times the depth of penetration of the ball.

One of the limitations of the Rockwell test is that the accuracy of testing depends to a large degree on the perfect contact between the work piece and its support, usually called the anvil. . Also the resulting values will vary to a great degree if the surface is not flat on the Rockwell test. They wont vary as much when doing the Brinell test because the indenter is a sphere and not a point of a cone. You would use a Rockwell test to measure the hardness of a side of a cylinder. We found that the weld nugget was the hardest out of the nugget, the heat affected zone, and the base metal. The heat affected zone was the next hardest and then the base metal. It was a reasonable difference. The averages for the nugget, the heat affected zone, and the base metal can be seen in the Appendices and Micro-hardness test.

References
Callister, William D. Jr. Materials Science and Engineering an Introduction sixth edition

Appendices
Appendix A

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Appendix B Scale A B C D E F G H K L M P R S V Indenter Diamond cone 1/16" steel ball Diamond cone Diamond cone 1/8" steel ball 1/16" steel ball 1/16" steel ball 1/8" steel ball 1/8" steel ball 1/4" steel ball 1/4" steel ball 1/4" steel ball 1/2" steel ball 1/2" steel ball 1/2" steel ball Minor Load F0 kgf 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 Major Load F1 kgf 50 90 140 90 90 50 140 50 140 50 90 140 50 90 140 Total Load F kgf 60 100 150 100 100 60 150 60 150 60 100 150 60 100 150 Value of 100 130 100 100 130 130 130 130 130 130 130 130 130 130 130 E

Appendix E: Brinell Test

Brinell HB load (kg) Material Diameter of indentation (d) Average Table Formula

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3000

steel

mm 1 4.70 2 4.65 3 4.67 164.82 4.67 (160600)

Appendix F: Rockwell Test (Normal)

Rockwell Test scale Water oil Air HRC HRC HRC Indenter Diamond Scale Diamond scale Diamond scale Material steel steel steel Reading 1 0.025 0.021 0.021 2 0.024 0.021 0.022 3 0.025 0.022 0.022 Average 0.0247 0.0213 0.0217 Hardness 99.9753 99.9787 99.9783

Appendix G: Micro-hardness Vickers Test

Micro hardness Location Nugget Heat Affected Zone Base Metal HV Reading 1 151.30 123.50 90.60 2 133.10 109.30 96.00 3 169.50 130.30 82.76 Average 151.30 121.03 89.79 HV 151.36 123.47 90.67

Formula sheet 1. Vickers Test

The Vickers Diamond Pyramid hardness number is the applied load (kgf) divided by the surface area of the indentation (mm2) 1360 2 F sin 2 1.854 F HV = 2 d d2 12

Rockwell Test
Main Line Circle in Eyepiece

Indentation

First Read

D1

Second Read

D2

Brinell Test
HB = Load(kgf) P = 2 Surface Area of Indentation (mm ) D ( D D 2 d 2 ) 2

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Where d: P:

D:

Diameter of the ball indenter

Diameter at the rim of the permanent impression Load Force

D: Indenter Diameter d: Indentation Diameter

D
d

Indenter Specimen

Fig. 1 Schematic of the principle of the Brinell indentation process

Fig. 2 Brinell indentation with measuring scale in millimeters

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