Microhardness Testing
Microhardness testing (or microindentation hardness testing) is a method for measuring the hardness of a material on a microscopic scale.
A precision diamond indenter is impressed into the material at loads from 2 kilograms to less than 1 gram. The impression length, measured microscopically, and the test load are used to calculate a hardness value. The hardness values obtained are useful indicators of a material’s properties and expected service behavior. Microhardness testing can provide the following: bulk hardness, localized hardness, and hardness surveys through a hardened case or coating. The MEE laboratory has the ability to test samples using either a Vickers or a Knoop indenter.
Typical Applications
- Bulk hardness of small or thin samples
- Heat treated steel case depth evaluation
- Decarburization in steels
- Evaluation of welds
- Hardness of thin coatings
- Evaluation of machinability
Contact us to discuss which evaluation method is best suited to solve your materials-related problems. Or visit our Handbook of Analytical Methods for Materials (HAMM) for more in-depth explanations and typical applications of the analytical methods used for the characterization and evaluation of materials and products.
Visit the HAMM for more information
The Handbook of Analytical Methods for Materials (HAMM) is a brief tutorial on techniques for materials characterization. The HAMM is intended to provide our visitors with enough information on a technique to determine whether it has the potential to help solve a materials problem.