MICRO HARDNESS

TEST
GROUP-4

EQUIPMENT USED:

MICRO HARDNESS TESTING MACHINE

INTRODUCTION:
In this test method, a hardness number is determined
based on the formation of a very small indentation by
application of a relatively low force, in comparison to
ordinary indentation hardness tests.
Hardness test using a calibrated machine to force a
diamond indenter of specific geometry into the
surface of the material being evaluated, in which the
test forces range from 1 to 1000 gf ,and the
indentation diagonal, or diagonals are measured with
a light microscope after load removal.
For any micro indentation hardness test, generally it
is assumed that the indentation does not undergo
elastic recovery after force removal.
In this hardness test the indenter is either the Vickers
diamond pyramid or the Knoop elongated diamond

TYPE OF MICRO HARDNESS TESTS:

MICRO HARDNESS
TEST

VICKERS
MICRO
HARDNESS
TEST

KNOOP
MICRO
HARDNE
SS TEST

Vickers Pyramid Diamond Indenter :

The ideal Vickers indenter is a highly polished ,
pointed, square-based pyramidal diamond with
face angles of 136
Because of the shape of the indenter , this is
frequently called the Diamond pyramid hardness
test.
The Vickers Diamond Pyramid hardness number
is the applied load (kgf) divided by the surface
area of the indentation (mm2)

Knoop Indenter:
The Knoop hardness number KHN is the ratio of the
load applied to the indenter, P (kgf) to the
unrecovered projected area A (mm2)
KHN = F/A = P/CL2
C = Constant of indenter relating projected area of the
indentation to the square of the length of the long
diagonal.

Vickers Pyramid Diamond Indenter

Knoop Hardness Indenter

TEST SPECIMEN :
The procedure for testing is very similar to that of the
standard Vickers hardness test, except that it is done
on a microscopic scale with higher precision
instruments.
For optimum accuracy of measurement, the test
should be performed on a flat specimen with a
polished or otherwise suitably prepared surface.
The surface must be free of any defects that could
affect the indentation or the subsequent
measurement of the diagonals.
The specimen surface should not be etched highly
before making an indentation. Etched surfaces can
obscure the edge of the indentation.

 However , when determining the micro indentation

hardness of an isolated phase or constituent, a light
etch can be used to delineate the object of interest.
Due to the small size of the indentations, special
precautions must be taken during specimen
preparation. It is well known that improper polishing
can alter test results.
In some instances, it is necessary to mount the
specimen for convenience in preparation. But avoid
the use of polymeric mounting compounds that creep
under the indenter force as mounting media .

ADVANTAGES & USES:

Hardness tests have been found to be very useful for
materials evaluation, quality control of manufacturing
processes and research and development efforts.
Hardness, although empirical in nature, can be
correlated to tensile strength for many metals, and is
an indicator of wear resistance and ductility.(doubt)
Micro indentation tests extend hardness testing to
materials too thin or too small for macro indentation
tests.
Micro indentation tests allow specific phases or
constituents and regions or gradients too small for
macro indentation testing to be evaluated.

PRECAUTIONS:
The low load used with micro hardness test requires
that extreme care be taken in all stages of testing .
The surface of the specimen must be carefully
prepared because work hardening during polishing
can influence the results.
During the entire test cycle, the test machine
should be protected from shock or vibration.
To minimize vibrations, the operator should avoid
contacting the machine in any manner during the
entire test cycle.
Place the specimen , so that the specimen surface
is perpendicular to the indenter axis.

 The angle between the indenter and specimen surface

should be within 2 of perpendicular. Greater amounts
of tilting produce non uniform indentations and invalid
test results.
Residual deformation from mechanical polishing must
be removed, particularly for low-force testing.
The accuracy of micro indentation hardness testing is
strongly influenced by the accuracy to which the
indentations can be measured. So proper care should
be taken care by operator of machine while measuring
the diagonals lengths.

ERRORS:
For lighter loads the small amount of elastic recovery
becomes appreciable(corrections are to be made for this
problem).
The very small indentations produced at light loads the
error in locating the actual ends of the indentation
becomes greater.
Instrumental factors that can affect test results include:
accuracy of loading; inertia effects; speed of
loading(The indenter shall contact the specimen at a
velocity between 15 and 70 m/s);vibrations; the angle
of indentation.
Vibrations during indenting will produce larger
indentations with the influence of vibrations becoming
larger as the force decreases.

Thank
You!