LABSHEET 3 HARDNESS TEST - Edit PDF
LABSHEET 3 HARDNESS TEST - Edit PDF
LABSHEET 3 HARDNESS TEST - Edit PDF
LECTURER’S NAME :
CLO2P CLO3A
(20%) (20%)
STUDENT ID & NAME (1)
2 OBJECTIVE
3 THEORY
To understand heat treatment of steels requires an ability to understand the Fe-C
phase diagram shown in Figure 3.1. Steel with a 0.76 wt% C is said to be a eutectoid
steel. Steel with carbon content less than 0.76 wt% C is hypoeutectoid and greater
than 0.76 wt% C is hypereutectoid. The region marked austenite is face-centered-
cubic (FCC) and ferrite is body-centered-cubic (BCC).
There are also regions that have two phases. If one cools a hypoeutectoid steel from
a point in the austenite region, reaching the A3 line, ferrite will form from the
austenite. This ferrite is called proeutectoid ferrite. When A1 is reached, a mixture of
ferrite and iron carbide (cementite) forms from the remaining austenite. The
microstructure of a hypoeutectoid steel upon cooling would contain proeutectoid
ferrite plus pearlite (α+ Fe3C).
The size, type and distribution of phases present can be altered by not waiting for
thermodynamic equilibrium. Steels are often cooled so rapidly that metastable phases
appear. One such phase is martensite, which is a body-centered tetragonal (BCT)
phase and forms only by very rapid cooling.
Much of the information on non-equilibrium distribution, size and type of phases has
come from experiments. The results are presented in a time-temperature-
transformation (TTT) diagram shown in Figure 3.2. As a sample is cooled, the
temperature will decrease as shown in curve #1. At point A, pearlite (a mixture of
ferrite and cementite) will start to form from austenite. At the time and temperature
associated with point B, the austenite will have completely transformed to pearlite.
There are many possible paths through the pearlite regions. Slower cooling causes
coarse Pearlite, while fast cooling causes fine pearlite to form.
Cooling can produce other phases. If a specimen were cooled at a rate corresponding
to curve #2 in Figure 3.3, martensite, instead of Pearlite, would begin to form at Ms
temperature (point C), and the pearlite would be completely transformed to
martensite at temperature Ms. Martensite causes increased hardness in steels.
To obtain the desired mechanical properties it is necessary to cool steel from the
proper temperature at the proper rates and temper them at the proper temperature
and time.
Common steels, which are really solid solutions of carbon in iron, are body-centered-
cubic. However, the carbon has a low solubility in bcc iron and precipitates as iron
carbide when steel is cooled from 1600ºF (870ºC). The processes of precipitation can
be altered by adjusting the cooling rate. This changes the distribution and size of the
carbide which forms a laminar structure called pearlite during slow cooling processes.
If a steel is quenched into water or oil from 1600ºF (870ºC) a metastable phase called
martensite forms, which is body-centered-tetragonal. This phase sets up large internal
stresses and prevents carbide from forming. The internal stresses produce a high
hardness and unfortunately, low toughness. After cooling, to restore toughness, steels
are tempered by reheating them to a lower temperature around 800ºF (426ºC) and
cooling. The tempering relieves the internal stresses and also allows some iron carbide
to form. It also restores ductility.
4 EQUIPMENT / TOOLS
6 PROCEDURE
Precautions:
i. Clean the specimen properly before testing the hardness.
7 RESULT/DATA
Using specimen (from the previous experiment), measure the hardness of all
specimen with Rockwell machine. State your observation of the specimen. (Refer
Table 2)
Data Analysis:
i. Compute the Rockwell hardness number and compare with from the chart.
ii. Graph Rockwell Hardness vs Distance plot.
iii. Graph Rockwell Hardness vs Brinell Hardness