Rockwell Hardness - A Method-Dependent Standard Reference Material

Published

July 1, 1999

Author(s)

Samuel R. Low III, R J. Gettings, Walter S. Liggett Jr, Jun-Feng Song

Abstract

Rockwell hardness is not a fundamental physical property of a material. It is a method-dependent measurement of the deformation of the material to an applied force. There are no alternative measurement systems to directly or independently measure Rockwell hardness, nor are there intrinsic artifacts to base these standards on. Nevertheless, Rockwell hardness is an important measurement, widely used for process control and acceptance testing of metals and metal products. As a result, reference materials are essential for comparing Rockwell test results. This paper describes the challenges of developing a reference material for a method-dependent measurement.

Citation

National Conference of Standards Laboratories International

Pub Type

Journals

Keywords

hardness, HRC, indenter, Rockwell hardness, SRM, standard reference material, standarization, test block, test cycle

Citation

Low, S. , Gettings, R. , Liggett, W. and Song, J. (1999), Rockwell Hardness - A Method-Dependent Standard Reference Material, National Conference of Standards Laboratories International (Accessed October 20, 2025)