Portable Hardness is a material’s resistance to penetration. In general, an
indenter is pressed into the surface of the material to be tested under a
specific load for a definite time interval, and a measurement is made
of the size or depth of the indentation.
Hardness properties include such varied attributes as resistance to
abrasives, resistance to plastic deformation, high modulus of
elasticity, high yield point, high strength, absence of elastic damping,
brittleness or lack of ductility.
Hardness is not a fundamental property of a material, but a response
to a particular test method. Basically hardness values are arbitrary,
and there are no absolute standards for hardness. Hardness has no
quantitative value, except in terms of a given load applied in a
specific, reproducible manner and with a specified indenter shape.
- Rockwell Hardness Test
- Rockwell Superficial Hardness Test
- Brinell Hardness Test
- Vickers Hardness Test
- Mohs Hardness Test
Hardness of materials has probably long been assessed by resistance
to scratching or cutting. Relative hardness of minerals can be assessed
by reference to the Mohs scale that ranks the ability of materials to
resist scratching by another material.