2030 – 09 – Discovering Hardness

Hardness expresses how well a metal resists scratching and wearing. The Rockwell test and Brinell test typically are used to rate how hard the surface of a metal is. These tests push a small indenter into a material’s surface. The impression left by the indentation indicates how soft the metal is.
Hardness tests are the most common mechanical property test. They don’t destroy the material and can also be used as an estimation of tensile strength, since both the Rockwell and Brinell tests indicate how a metal can resist plastic deformation.