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| Tensile Strength | This is the ability of a material to withstand tensile loads without rupture when the material is in tension |
| Compressive Strength | This is the ability of a material to withstand Compressive (squeezing) loads without being crushed when the material is in compression . |
| Shear Strength | This is the ability of a material to withstand offset or traverse loads without rupture occurring . |
| Toughness | This is the ability of a material to withstand shatter. A material which easily shatters is brittle. Toughness indicates the ability of a material to absorb energy |
| Elasticity | This is the ability of a material to deform under load and return to its original size and shape when the load is removed. The property is required for springs |
| Plasticity | This is the property of a material to deform permanently under the application of a load. Plastacine is plastic. This is the exact opposite to elasticity. |
| Ductility | This is ability of a material to stretch under the application of tensile load and retain the deformed shape on the removal of the load. A ductile material combines the properties of plasticiy and tensile strength. All materials which are formed by drawing are required to be ductile |
| Malleability | This is the property of a material to deform permanently under the application of a compressive load. A material which is forged to its final shape is required to be malleable |
| Fatigue Strength | This is the property of a material to withstand
continuously varying and alternating loads Fatigue Information Link |
| Hardness | This is the property of a material to withstand indentation and surface abrasion by another hard object. It is an indication of the wear resistance of a material. Diamonds are very hard. |
| Brinell Hardness Test | In this test a hardened steel ball is pressed into the surface of
the test material using a prescribed ball. The ball and load have to be selected
to suit the material being tested. The Hardness Number Hb = Load /Spherical Area of indentation |
| Vickers Hardness Test | In this test a Diamond Indenter is pressed into the surface
of the material being tested. Standard loads used include 5, 10,20,30,50, and 100 kg.
The load is stated in specifying the hardness numbe i.e HD(10) = 100. the indenter is a square based pyramid.
to suit the material being tested The Hardness Number HD = 1.844 x Load/ Average diagonal length of indentation |
| Rockwell Hardness Test | In this test a Hard Steel Ball or a Diamond Cone Indenter
is pressed into the surface of the material being tested.
The test compares the difference in penetration between a minor initial load (98N)
and a major additional load. The result of the test is read directly from machine.
The Hardness Number HR = E (constant based on indenter)- e (permanent increase in penetration due to major load) |
| Scale | Indenter | Additional Force (kN) | Application |
| A | 120 o Diamond Cone | 0.59 | Sheet steel ; shallow case hardened |
| B | Ball dia 1.588mm | 0.98 | Copper, Aluminium alloys, Low Carbon Steel |
| C | 128 o Diamond Cone | 1.47 | Most Widely Used -Hardened Steels, Cast irons etc |
| D | 120 o Diamond Cone | 0.98 | Thin but Hard steels |
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Last Updated 07/05/2001