Experiment No.

# 09

To Perform Rockwell hardness Test and Determine Hardness Number of

given Specimen material.

Objective

The main objectives of this experiment are to:

 Find out Rockwell hardness number of different specimens

 To identify the material type with the help of Rockwell hardness number

THEORY
HARDNESS TEST
A hardness test is a mechanical test used to determine a material's resistance to
deformation, particularly permanent indentation, scratching, or cutting. It reflects
how well a material can resist localized plastic deformation under applied force.
Hardness is not a fundamental property like strength or elasticity, but it gives indirect
insights into material behavior, such as wear resistance and tensile strength.

Purpose of Hardness Testing

 To assess material suitability for specific applications (e.g., cutting tools,

gears).
 To compare different materials.
 For quality control during production.
 To estimate other mechanical properties like tensile strength (in some
cases).

Types of Hardness Tests

Hardness testing methods are mainly divided into three categories, based on how
hardness is measured:

1. Indentation Hardness Tests

These are the most commonly used and are based on measuring the size or depth of
an indentation made by a standard indenter under load.

a. Brinell Hardness Test (BHN)

 Uses a steel or tungsten carbide ball.

 Applied with a heavy load.
 Measures the diameter of the indentation.
 Suitable for softer metals and materials with coarse structures.

b. Rockwell Hardness Test (RHN)

 Measures the depth of the indentation.

 Uses different scales (A, B, C, etc.) with different indenters (steel ball or
diamond cone).
 Direct reading on dial.
  Fast and widely used for industrial applications.

c. Vickers Hardness Test (VHN)

 Uses a diamond pyramid-shaped indenter.

 Suitable for very hard materials and microhardness testing.
 Gives precise and small indentations, allowing thin materials to be tested.

d. Knoop Hardness Test

 A microhardness test with an elongated diamond indenter.

 Ideal for very small or thin samples, like coatings or films.

2. Rebound (Dynamic) Hardness Test

Leeb Hardness Test

 Measures the rebound velocity of a test body after it strikes the material
surface.
 Common for portable testing of large components.

3. Scratch Hardness Test

Mohs Hardness Test

 Ranks minerals based on their ability to scratch one another.

 Ranges from 1 (talc) to 10 (diamond).
 Mostly used in geology and mineralogy.

Rockwell Hardness Test

The Rockwell Hardness Test is a widely used method to measure the hardness of
materials, particularly metals and alloys. It determines how resistant a material is
to indentation under a specified load using a standardized indenter. The result is a
dimensionless Rockwell Hardness Number (HR), which can be read directly from
the machine.
It is faster and simpler than other methods like Brinell or Vickers, and it requires no
optical measurement—just a depth reading.

Principle of the Rockwell Hardness Test

The Rockwell test works on the principle of measuring the depth of penetration
of an indenter under two consecutive loads:
 Minor Load (Preload): A small initial load (usually 10 kgf) is first applied to
seat the indenter and eliminate surface irregularities.
 Major Load: A larger load (e.g., 60, 100, or 150 kgf) is applied in addition to
the minor load, causing further penetration.
 Unload Major Load: The major load is then removed, while the minor load is
still maintained.
  Measure Depth: The increase in depth caused by the major load is
measured. This depth is automatically converted into a Rockwell Hardness
Number (HR) based on the scale being used.

Rockwell Scales
There are multiple Rockwell scales (e.g., A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, K, etc.), each
designed for different materials and using different combinations of indenter type
and load:
Scal Major
e Indenter Load Suitable For
A Diamond 60 kgf Thin steel, hard alloys
cone
B 1/16" steel 100 kgf Copper, aluminum, soft
ball steel
C Diamond 150 kgf Hardened steel, cast
cone iron

ROCKWELL HARDNESS NUMBER (HR OR RHN)

The Rockwell Hardness Number (RHN) is a dimensionless number that represents the
resistance of a material to indentation under a standard load using a standard
indenter.
It is calculated based on the depth of indentation made by an indenter (either a steel
ball or a diamond cone) under a minor and major load. The smaller the indentation
depth, the higher the hardness number.
The general formula for calculating Rockwell Hardness Number is:
For Diamond Cone (Brale Indenter – Scales A, C, D):
HR =N−h ¿ (1)
For Steel Ball Indenter (Scales B, E, F, etc.):
h
HR =N− ¿ (2)
S
Where:
 HR = Rockwell Hardness Number
 h = Permanent increase in depth of indentation (in mm or inches)
 N , S = Scale constants depending on the Rockwell scale
🔹 Constants for Common Scales
Scal Major Load
e Indenter (kgf) N S
HR A Diamond 60 10 0.002
cone 0 mm
HR B 1/16" steel 100 13 0.002
ball 0 mm
HR C Diamond 150 10 0.002
cone 0 mm

ADVANTAGES:
  Quick and Simple: The test is fast and easy to perform, providing immediate
results.
 No Need for Sample Preparation: Unlike other hardness tests, Rockwell
requires minimal preparation of the specimen.
 Different Scales: It offers multiple scales (e.g., Rockwell B, C) suitable for
testing materials with varying hardness.
 No Need for a Polished Surface: It can be used on rough surfaces.
 Repeatability: The results are highly repeatable, making it ideal for routine
testing.
 Portable: The test can be performed using portable testers for on-site
measurements.

LIMITATIONS:
 Not Suitable for Thin or Small Specimens: Thin materials or small parts
may deform under the test load, leading to inaccurate readings.
 Limited to Harder Materials: The test is not ideal for very soft materials,
which might produce unreliable results.
 Surface Sensitivity: The surface of the material must be smooth enough for
consistent results.
 Deformation Effect: Soft materials may show excessive indentation, making it
harder to distinguish between true hardness and deformation.
 Need for Calibration: Frequent calibration is required to maintain accuracy.

APPLICATION
The Rockwell Hardness Test is extensively used in engineering for various applications
to determine the hardness of materials. Some of the key engineering applications
include:

 Quality Control in Manufacturing: The Rockwell hardness test is widely

used in manufacturing to check the quality of materials and finished
products. It ensures that materials meet required specifications for hardness,
which directly impacts their performance and longevity in applications like
gears, shafts, and bearings.
 Material Selection: Engineers use the Rockwell hardness test to select
materials that are suitable for specific applications based on their hardness.
For instance, in applications like cutting tools or wear-resistant components,
materials with higher hardness values are preferred.
 Heat Treatment Processes: In heat-treated materials, hardness is an
essential indicator of the material’s properties. Rockwell testing helps assess
the effectiveness of heat treatments (like quenching or tempering) by
evaluating the changes in hardness, ensuring desired mechanical properties
are achieved.
 Determining Wear Resistance: Hardness is often correlated with wear
resistance. The Rockwell hardness test helps assess how materials will
perform under wear conditions, which is crucial in selecting materials for
components such as engine parts, wear plates, and industrial machinery.
  Fatigue Life Prediction: Harder materials typically exhibit higher
resistance to fatigue. Rockwell hardness testing can be used in predicting the
fatigue life of components like turbine blades, structural members, and other
critical parts subjected to cyclic loading.
 Component Inspection and Maintenance: For critical components that
undergo wear or degradation, such as gears, bearings, or engine parts,
Rockwell hardness testing is applied to evaluate if the hardness has been
compromised, helping in maintenance decision-making and lifecycle
predictions.
 Aerospace and Automotive Industries: In both industries, materials must
endure extreme conditions, and their hardness often correlates with strength
and durability. The Rockwell hardness test is used in testing components
such as turbine blades, engine parts, and structural components to ensure
they can withstand these conditions.
 Metallurgical Research and Development: Engineers and metallurgists
use the Rockwell hardness test to study the relationship between a material's
hardness and other properties like tensile strength, ductility, and toughness,
which aids in developing new materials with optimal properties for specific
applications.

COMPONENTS OF ROCKWELL HARDNESS TESTER

 Lever
 Skirt
 Anvil support (table)
 Hydraulic System
 Weight and weight pans
 Dial indicator scale
 Trip lever

APPARATUS
 Rockwell Hardness Tester
 Specimen

These applications demonstrate how the Rockwell hardness test plays a crucial role in
engineering by ensuring material performance and quality across various industries.

PROCEDURE
 Clean the surface of anvil table to remove dust particles and oil to avoid
slippage.
 Clean the surface of specimen whose hardness number is to be determined.
 Insert the steel ball type indenter in the split chuck.
 In order to remove the effect of surface roughness, apply a minor load of 10kg.
To apply it, first adjust the anvil table to make indenter touch the surface of
specimen then apply load of 10kg.
  Now apply major load of 100kg through the release un-release valve in
accordance with the selected scale B.
 After passing through a dwell time of 15 seconds remove the major load.
 Remove the specimen and observe the reading on the dial scale.

 The final reading shown on the dial scale is the hardness no. of the tested
specimen.

Observations

Following are the some observations which are recorded before

the start of the experiment.

Least counts

Least count of microscope scale = 0.05mm

Geometric Parameters of Indenter

Diameter of indenter made of steel =

1/16 inch

Table and Datasheet

No. Major Minor Diamete Material Rockwell

of Load load r of Ball tested Hardnes
Obs. applied (kg) Indenter s
(kg) (in) Number

1 100 10 1/16 Brass 59

2 100 10 1/16 Brass 60

3 100 10 1/16 Brass 62

Mean Rockwell Hardness Number = 60