THE ABSTRACT:

Hardness Test: This is essentially the resistance of the surface of a material to deformation.
There isnoabsolute scale for hardness. The commonly used tests for hardness are:

Brinell hardness test
Vickers hardness test
Rockwell hardness test
Rebound hardness test
Scratch test

In the experiment, Brinell hardness test was used in attempt to examine the relation of the
deformation ofmetal specimen to the hardness property of a metal.

Using a hardened steel ball fixed unto a Brinell Hardness Test machine demonstrated in the
experimental setup diagram. The specimen was mounted unto the machine and the machine
was loaded with equivalent loads as indicated by the experimental procedure. The results
were measured by help of a microscope, recorded, and tabulated. The results were used to
plot graphical curves using the Microsoft excel spreadsheet package. The analysis and
discussion of the results was done in relation to the preset theory. Deductions were made,
conclusion derived from discussion of the analyzed results and recommendations put forward
in response to errors encountered during the experiment.



THE OBJECTIVES OF THE EXPERIMENT

To examine deformation of metal specimen when hardened steel specimen is pressed
into it under different normal loads.
To use the indentations to determine the properties of a metal.



THE INTRODUCTION TO EXPERIMENT

The Brinell hardness test is a simple, quick and non destructive test that can be performed:

On a small piece of material thats too small to machine a tensile/compressive test
specimen out of it.
On a piece of metal thats needed to be preserved for future use.
When there is no time to prepare for tensile/compressive test.

Therefore, in this experiment report on INDENTATION OF A METAL BY A BALL, we use
a steel ball, following the standard procedure for performance of Brinell hardness test to
determine some mechanical properties of two metal specimens i.e. steel and aluminium.




THEORY BEHIND THE EXPERIMENT


Hardness is the property of a material (metal) by virtue of its ability to resist abrasion,
indentation (or penetration) and scratching by harder bodies. It is the resistance of a material
to permanent deformation of the surface.


In other words, one can define it as the resistance of the metal to penetration by an indenter.
The hardness Of a surface of the material is, of course, a direct result of inter-atomic forces
acting on the surface of the Material. We must note that hardness is not a fundamental
property of a material, however, but rather a combined effect of compressive, elastic and
plastic properties relative to the mode of penetration, shape of penetrator, etc. Hardness
seems to bear a fairly constant relationship to the tensile strength of a given material and thus
it can be used as a practical non-destructive test for an approximate idea of the value of that
property and the state of the metal near the surface.


All hardness tests are made on the surface or close to it. We may note that in mechanical tests
the bulk of material is involved.


Sometimes, hardness is expressed in terms of macro-hardness and micro-hardness. The
macro hardness of material relates to its resistance to larger volume displacements in plastic
deformation, whereas micro hardness is the hardness of the materials in microscopically
small volumes e.g. in grain boundaries. Hardness of materials is of importance for dies and
punches, limit gauges, cutting tools, bearing surfaces etc. Softness of a material is opposite
extreme of hardness. On heating all materials become soft.


Brinell hardness number is the hardness index, calculated by pressing a hardened steel ball
(indenter) into test specimen under standardized load. Brinell hardness tests are used to
determine hardness of metallic materials, to check quality level of products, for uniformity of
samples of metals, for uniformity of results of heat treatment.


The Brinell Hardness Number (BHN) is obtained by dividing the applied force by the
spherical surface area of the indentation, i.e.

]




The value of Brinell hardness number is related to tensile strength and for two materials this
is as shown in below:



The diameter (D) of the ball, 1, 2, 5 or 10 mm (generally it is 10 mm) and the applied load (P)
are chosen, such that the same value of P/D 1, 5, 10 or 30 will give the same hardness
number. The thickness of the material being tested should be at least 10 times the depth of the
indentation.

Steel ball used in Brinell hardness testing should be polished and free from surface defects.
Tungsten carbide balls should be used, so that there should not be any permanent change in
ball diameter.


THE APARATUS AND THE SET UP OF THE EXPERIMENT





THE PROCEDURE OF THE EXPERIMENT

We placed the test sample on the top of the test table and raised it with the elevating
screw, till the test sample just touched the ball.
We applied the desired load, starting with 250 kg equivalent load.
The steel ball during this period moved to the position of the sample and made an
indentation.
We measured the indentation diameter at two places, by coinciding the two points of a
reading microscope (Fig. (c)).
We changed the load by 250 kg equivalent increment and repositioned the specimen
according to the specifications in the theory. We repeated this until we reached a load
equivalent to 3000kg.

This procedure was repeated by group A1, in testing the hardness of an aluminum specimen.
The twogroups then discussed and shared the results.


RESULTS, COMPUTATIONS AND GRAPHWORK

The tabulation of the results, computation was done by use of Microsoft excel spreadsheet
package of The Microsoft Office 7.