Understanding The Different Types Of Hardness Tests

The ability of a material to resist permanent indentation is known as hardness. It is an empirical test, rather than material property. In order to define different hardness values for the same piece of material, there are several types of hardness tests. The outcome of each test should have a label identifying the method used, as it is dependent on it. There is no intrinsic significance of hardness value or number, hence it cannot be used directly like tensile test value. The value is only useful for comparing different treatments or materials.