Hardness Testing

Lesson 1:
Metallurgical Background
and
Hardness vs. Hardenability

For information regarding this presentation, please contact Dan Emelander (Metallurgist) 713-939-2672
 Steel
• The majority of parts made by Cameron are made of
steel
– This includes low alloy steels, such as 4130 and 4140
– Stainless Steels
• Austenitic Stainless Steels, such as 316
• Martensitic Stainless Steels, such as 410
• Precipitation Hardened Stainless Steels, such as 17-4PH
• The two main factors in determining a steel’s
mechanical properties are its chemistry and its heat
treatment
 Hardness vs. Hardenability
• Hardness is a material property that measures its
resistance to penetration of its surface
– The most common hardness test methods use an indenter
with a fixed geometry under a specified load
– Basically, how easy or hard it is to push a ball into the surface
– Usually used as an estimate for the strength of the material or
as a quality check to show a material was properly processed

• Hardenability is a measure of how well the material

responds to heat treatment
– How easy it is, through heat treating, to increase the hardness
at a given location in the material
– Mainly affected by the chemistry of the material
 Quench and Tempering
• Most low alloy steels, and some stainless steels used by Cameron
are given a Quench and Temper heat treatment
• Quenching is done to harden the material. It consists of:
– Heat to a high temperature (called austenitizing)
– Holding to equalize the temperature through the entire part
– Rapidly cooling the part in water, polymer, oil, or air
• Tempering is done to restore some ductility and toughness in the
hard, but brittle as-quenched part. It consists of:
– Heat to a high temperature (but lower than the austenitizing )
– Holding until the desired softening and increase in ductility is
achieved
– Cooled to room temperature
 Critical Cooling Rate
• The less hardenable the material, the faster it must
be cooled to obtain the correct properties
• The rate the part must be cooled in order to obtain
the desired structure and properties
• When Quenching a part, the outside cools the
fastest.
– The larger the part, the longer it will take for the center to
cool
– On larger parts, the center may not achieve the Critical
Cooling Rate, making the center less hard
 What Affects Hardenability in Steel?
• Chemistry
– Adding elements to the steel increases its hardenability
• Carbon is the most effective alloying element
• Other elements that are added include:
– Manganese (Mn)
– Chromium (Cr)
– Molybdenum (Mo)
– Silicon (Si)
– Nickel (Ni)
– Vanadium (V)
– Columbium (Cb) or Niobium (Nb)
– The more you add of an element, the higher the
hardenability (to a point)
 Which Alloy has a Higher
Hardenability?
Alloying
Element 4140 4130

Carbon .40 .31

Manganese .80 .75

Silicon .20 .20

Chromium .90 .90

4140 has a higher hardenability

 Effects of Heavy Cross-Sections
• The hardenability affects how deep the required
properties can be achieved in a material
– In AISI 4130, it is only possible to get 75ksi in a cross section
of up to about 4”
– In AISI 4140, it is possible to get 75ksi in a cross-section up
to about 12”
• 3 times the thickness as 4130, with the only difference being
0.1% more Carbon

• Quench and tempered steel forgings will always be

harder near the heat treated surface
 4130 vs. 4140
Hardenability on 12” Bar Stock

Distance from 4130 4140

Surface HBW HBW
Near OD 223 223
1” 207 218
2” 179 212
4” 170 212
6” 170 207
 Stress Relieving in Steel
• Stress relieving is required on some welds because
“hard spots” are developed during welding
– These spots can occur in the weld itself, or the heat affected
zone (HAZ)
– They occur because during welding, the material is heated to
a very high temperature, then cooled rapidly
• Since only a small amount of material is heated, and there is a
large amount of base material to act as a heat sink
• Stress relieving acts as another Temper operation,
reducing the hardness and restoring ductility
 Stress Relieving in Steel
• The hardness drop is directly related to:
– The Material
• Different materials react differently
– Temperature
• The closer to the tempering temperature, the larger the drop
– Time at temperature
• The longer the time, the larger the drop
• Typical drop in hardness will be 0-6 HBW
– Assuming temperature is 50°F below the tempering
temperature
– Assuming original hardness was not due to cold work
 Nickel Alloys

• Much more expensive than steel

• Advantages
– Great corrosion resistance
– Some alloys have higher strengths than steel in
H2S
• For example, NACE allows up to 40 HRC in 718,
which equals strengths well above 100ksi
 Heat Treatment of Nickel Alloys
• Most alloys are:
– Solution annealed
– Solution annealed and Aged
• Solution Annealing
– Heating to a high temperature to mix all the elements
together evenly, making a “solution”
• 1700-1950°F for Inconel 718
• 2000-2200°F for Inconel 625
 Heat Treatment of Nickel Alloys
(Cont.)

• Aging
– Also known as Precipitation Hardening
– Heating to a high temperature and holding
• 1200-1500°F for Inconel 718
• 1100-1300°F for Inconel 625
– At these temperatures, some elements in the material want
to form other compounds
• These compounds form particles throughout the material
– The particles formed increase the strength of the material
• Hardness also increases
 Work Hardening in Nickel Alloys
• Nickel alloys do work harden
• As material is deformed, it becomes stronger and
harder
– Surface preparation can cause work hardening
– Also depends on how fast the material is deformed

• What does this mean?

– Hardness tests will be sensitive to method used to prepare
the surface
When in Doubt…call Metallurgy