Hardness analysis and measurement laboratory
As an industrial company, you wish to carry out a hardness test on a material to assess its performance
What is the hardness of a material?
The hardness of a material is its degree of resistance to deformation under external pressure. Hardness is an indicator of a material’s durability and wear resistance.
It directly influences material selection for various applications, such as cutting tools, surface coatings, and mechanical components subjected to high stresses. By measuring hardness, industries can anticipate material performance, optimize manufacturing processes, and ensure the quality of finished products.
What is a hardness test?
A hardness test is a mechanical test offered by FILAB to characterize a material. It is a method used to determine a material’s resistance to permanent deformation when a force is applied.
The hardness test involves pressing an indenter with specific dimensions into the surface of the material being tested under a defined load. This test is carried out to assess the hardness of materials such as metals, plastics, and ceramics.
How is the hardness of metals measured?
After a hardness test, several aspects of the material are examined.
- The deformation is examined to understand the permanent change in the shape of the material under the effect of the applied load: observing the size and shape of the impression left by the indenter.
- The scratch is inspected to identify any visible mark left by the test, indicating the material’s resistance to surface wear.
- The penetration, which measures the depth to which the indenter penetrated the material, is also evaluated to determine its internal resistance to deformation.
- Finally, the indentation is analysed, particularly by measuring the precise dimensions of the impression, to provide a quantifiable indication of the material’s hardness.
These checks help characterise the material’s mechanical properties, thereby ensuring its quality and suitability for specific industrial applications.
Why test the hardness of your materials?
Hardness analysis is useful not only in the development of new materials but also in the quality control of finished products, ensuring their compliance with standards and specifications.
A hardness test makes it possible to:
Measure resistance to deformation, i.e. the ability to withstand applied forces, particularly indentations, scratches or impacts.
Determine other important mechanical properties, such as tensile strength, which are often correlated.
Assess the risk of failure and resistance to wear, fatigue and other forms of degradation, in order to optimise the service life and performance of mechanical components.
Verify that materials comply with technical specifications and manufacturing standards to ensure the quality and reliability of finished products based on their hardness and behaviour under stress.
Analyse the effectiveness of heat treatments and hardening processes, such as quenching and tempering, on the material’s hardness.
FILAB laboratory has hardness testing techniques suited to the nature of your products and materials
Our hardness measurement services
Principle: A steel or tungsten carbide ball is pressed against the material’s surface under a specific load.
Materials concerned: mainly used for metals and alloys.
Principle: An indenter (diamond cone or steel ball) is pressed into the material under a minor load, followed by a major load.
Applicable materials: metals and certain hard polymers.
Principle: A square-based diamond pyramid is pressed into the material under a specific load.
Applicable materials: metals, ceramics, and certain composite materials.
Shore test (durometer)
Principle: An indenter with a specific shape is pressed into the material under a given load.
Applicable materials: mainly plastics and elastomers, with suitable scales (Shore A, Shore D, etc.).
Mechanical tests performed at FILAB
FILAB laboratory, a specialist in materials characterization, has the expertise and the analytical facilities to support you with your hardness measurement and mechanical characterization challenges through various tests:
Hardness measurement: Vickers hardness, Brinell, Rockwell
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Hardness measurement for resistance to mechanical penetration
Tensile test: part and/or test specimen
Going further
In addition to these tests, we offer analyses of the chemical composition of your materials. Our expertise enables you to obtain all the information you need regarding a material’s compatibility with its environment.
As an independent laboratory with a team of experienced PhD holders and engineers, FILAB guarantees the reliability of its results, ensures the rapid processing of requests and provides personalised support for its clients.
FAQ
The choice of hardness testing method depends on several factors, including the material’s hardness, the sample size, and the required precision. The Vickers method is often preferred for very hard materials or small parts, while the Brinell method is used for softer materials and larger samples.
Hardness measurement is crucial for quality control in many industries, as it provides direct information on the mechanical properties of materials, such as their resistance to wear and deformation. This helps ensure that materials meet the required specifications for their final application.
Material hardness profiling involves carrying out a series of measurement points
on a sample to assess how hardness changes (on the
surface, across a weld, etc.), generally by indentation.
Depending on the type of stress applied, hardness can be measured in different ways. The three main types of hardness are scratch hardness, rebound hardness, and indentation hardness.
Scratch hardness measures a material’s resistance to being scratched by another material. It indicates a material’s ability to withstand superficial mechanical wear.
Application examples: mineral identification, evaluating the scratch resistance of surface coatings.
Rebound hardness measures a material’s ability to elastically recover after an impact. This method evaluates the rebound height of an indenter dropped onto the material’s surface. Application examples: assessing the resilience of elastic materials, quality control of metals.
Indentation hardness measures a material’s resistance to deformation under the pressure of an indenter. This method evaluates the size or depth of the indentation left by an indenter under a known load. Application examples: metal characterization, alloy quality control, heat treatment evaluation.
Material hardness is measured using various methods that assess a material’s resistance to permanent deformation under different types of stress.
The Rockwell hardness test measures the depth of indentation caused by a load applied to an indenter. This method is fast and widely used for metals and alloys. Usage examples: Hardness of hard and soft metals, evaluation of quenching and tempering of steels.
The Vickers hardness test measures resistance to indentation using a diamond pyramidal indenter. It is particularly suitable for hard and thin materials. Usage examples: Hardness of ceramics, metals, thin films, and coatings.
The Brinell hardness test measures resistance to indentation using a steel or tungsten carbide ball. Usage examples: Hardness of metals and alloys, particularly for materials with a coarse or non-homogeneous grain structure.
The Shore hardness test measures a material’s resistance to elastic deformation. This method is commonly used for polymers and elastomers. Usage examples: Hardness of rubber, plastics, elastomers.
These different hardness measurements make it possible to characterize a material’s resistance to various forms of deformation and wear, depending on its specific applications and mechanical properties.
The choice of the hardness testing method depends on the material’s microstructure and homogeneity, the type of material, the size of the part and the condition of the surface.
For homogeneous materials, Rockwell, Vickers and Brinell methods are suitable, whereas the Brinell method is preferable for heterogeneous materials. Hard metalsoften use Rockwell (HRC) or Vickers methods, while softer metals may use Rockwell B or Brinell, and polymers and elastomers are tested using the Shore method.
Large parts benefit from the Brinell method, while small parts and thin coatings are better tested with Vickers.
For rough surfaces, Brinell and Rockwell are more suitable, whereas Vickers is ideal for polished, well-prepared surfaces.
A material’s hardness is influenced by its chemical composition, microstructure, heat treatments, and mechanical working. Purity, temperature, pressure conditions, and surface treatments also play a role. These environmental or usage conditions interact to determine the material’s final hardness.
The hardness of steel is an essential characteristic that determines its resistance to deformation and wear (steel beam resistance). It is particularly important in sectors such as aerospace, automotive, space, and many others. Hardness measurement helps ensure that the materials used meet the specific requirements of each application, thereby guaranteeing the safety and longevity of finished products.
