Mechanical Properties:

fundamentals and Tensile,

Hardness and Impact Testing
-3-
 Outcomes and Expectations

Learn the concept of hardness

Most common hardness-testing techniques
Difference between hardness and micro-
hardness
Common techniques for micro-hardness
 HARDNESS
- popular because cheap, fast, non destructive,
can approx. correlate with other mech props.
Also:
small specimens can be tested

- very difficult to analyse in terms of stresses and

strains
because:

Plastic zone
generated.

Characteristics
unknown.
therefore:
last choice as a materials science tool;
and
units of hardness based on arbitrary scales,
specific to each test technique (i.e rarely
MPa, etc.).

Test measures:
- resistance to localized plastic deformation,
i.e. indentation or scratch.
- indentation = indentor loaded statically
(with a fixed load)
Methods of Hardness Testing
- these combinations of loads and indentors can
cover most metals and alloys
- smooth flat surface required (for test)

- Specimen thickness should be at least 10x depth

of indent;
separation of indents must be at least 3 indent
diams, center to center and between indent center
and specimen edge

avoid stacking specimens (to increase thickness)

 Hardness conversion
- depends strongly on material
(Callister has a conversion for steels)

Correlation between hardness and tensile strength

Roughly proportional, but proportionality constant
different for each material

TS (MPa)=3.45 x HB (metals)
Hardness
Conversion
 Correlation between Hardness and
Tensile Strength

Both tensile strength and

hardness are a measure
of a materials resistance
to plastic deformation
expect a correlation-
usually TS and HB scale

TS (MPa) = 3.45 x HB
TS (psi) = 500 x HB
 Suggested lectures

Callister (7th edidion)

Section 6.10
 Problems

Question 1)
When a 3000-kg load is applied to a 10-mm diameter ball in a
brinell test of a steel, an indentation of 3.1 mm is produced.
Estimate the tensile strength of the steel.