Lab 1 Report

docx

School

Louisiana State University *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

3410

Subject

Mechanical Engineering

Date

Feb 20, 2024

Type

docx

Pages

7

Uploaded by carsoncaruso72

Report
CE 3410 Section 1 Mechanics of Materials Laboratory Lab 1 Report Brinell Hardness Test Rockwell Hardness Test Submitted By: Caroline Johnson Carson Caruso Date Performed: Date Submitted: August 28, 2023 September 10, 2023 Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Fall 2023 I. Purpose 1
The purpose of this experiment is to test the hardness of different materials to compute the corresponding tensile strength. The process of hardness testing involves applying a local load and observing the resistance to penetration. The materials tested were brass, aluminum, and steel. The Rockwell hardness test and the Brinell hardness test are both performed to test the hardness of the materials. The difference between the Rockwell and Brinell hardness test depends on the specific material being tested, its surface tension, and the desired level of accuracy. After the tests were performed, the tensile strengths of the materials were compared. II. Description During this experiment, each group was given cubes made of brass, steel, and aluminum. The group would take the metal cube they were given and perform a hardness test through two types of testing. The two testing methods used in this laboratory were the Brinell Hardness Test and the Rockwell Hardness Test. Figure 1 and 2 shows the testing mechanisms used. The Brinell Hardness Test was conducted by placing a metal cube on a platform and raised till the penetrating screw was touching the metal cube. After the cube was loaded, each type of metal endured loads of 500 kg, 1000 kg, and 1500 kg for 12 seconds a piece. After indenting the metal 3 times for each specimen, the indention made on the metal was measured using a low power microscope. Using the applied load and the diameter of the indention, the Brinell Hardness Number (BHN) can be found in a table, per ASTM E 10. The second type of testing used for this laboratory was the Rockwell Hardness. During this testing, the cube was placed on a platform and raised to the indenter. Then the students were to adjust the indenter until the small hand was in the vertical position and the dial was at the set position. From there a 100 kilogram load was applied through a 1/16 inch steel ball by pulling down the lever. The Rockwell Hardness Test uses small loads which in turn yields a smaller indention. Instead of measuring the diameter, this test uses the major stress to measure the amount of hardness. The reading on the dial from the major stress gives the hardness number directly. This is done three times to each specimen. . 2
Figure 1. Brinell Hardness Test Figure 2. Rockwell Hardness Test III. Theory Brinell Hardness Test: The equation below is used to find the Brinell Hardness Number (BHN). Once the BHN is found, the tensile strength can also be found. The equation for tensile strength is obtained from the lab manual and was given during the lab. BHN= P πD 2 ( D D 2 d 2 ) Equation I: Brinell Hardness Number (BHN) P=applied load D=indenter diameter d=diameter of the indentation. Page T1-7 from the lab manual was used to find the tensile strength from the Brinell Hardness Number. The linear interpolation formula was used. y 2 y 1 y y 1 = x 2 x 1 x x 1 Equation II: Linear Interpolation x=calculated Brinell Hardness number y=tensile strength to be calculated. 3
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
  • Access to all documents
  • Unlimited textbook solutions
  • 24/7 expert homework help
Rockwell Hardness Test: The Rockwell Hardness Test does not require an equation to calculate the hardness number. Instead, the Rockwell Hardness testing machine displays the hardness number on a dial. Since a 100 kg load and 1/16 inch indenter was utilized, Rockwell B Number was extracted from the dial on the machine. The tensile strength from the Rockwell Hardness Test was found using the page T1-7 from the lab manual. The linear interpolation formula, Equation II, is also used in this test. Lastly, Microsoft Excel is again used with this test to find the average and standard deviation, using the same methods utilized in the BHN. IV. Results The below results show the Rockwell Hardness Test findings on steel, aluminum, and brass specimens. The results displayed in Table 1 reflect the Rockwell Hardness Number obtained by Groups A, B, and C while running three tests on each tested material. Rockwell Hardness Number Steel Aluminum Brass Group A 67.9 70.0 69.5 48.5 56.0 51.9 40.0 40.5 37.1 Group B 70.2 70.0 68.0 50.0 48.5 50.3 41.4 39.9 41.0 Group C 67.5 69.1 73.1 49.75 49.75 51.2 37.5 35.0 38.5 Table 1. Rockwell Hardness Test Results Table 2 below displays the results for the Brinell Hardness Test for each group. Brinell hardness results as averages for each material tested per group is also displayed in Figure 4. Though the visual similarities of the scatter plots should be taken into account, the scaling of the dependent variable should also be observed. A smaller confidence interval tends to suggest a greater certainty for the total average of all samples. Brinell Hardness Numbers Load 500 kg Load 1000 kg Load 1500 kg Material Steel Alumi-num Brass Steel Aluminum Brass Steel Alumi-num Brass Group A 136.1116 85.70615 69.10646 185.1103 94.95028 84.86734 155.5328 103.2625 91.40757 4
157.5472 79.57747 79.57747 153.5041 92.27379 87.23784 155.5328 100.7239 98.273 136.1116 85.70615 69.10646 191.0439 92.27379 87.23784 170.4651 103.2625 111.4487 Group B 22.31672 9.445411 10.22986 22.22873 12.35548 10.90535 26.23938 12.99129 12.30688 14.56776 9.826107 8.121019 16.24204 10.2716 10.5816 12.99129 11.67304 12.64244 13.89042 9.086051 8.425217 16.24204 10.5816 10.90535 17.39626 12.30688 11.67304 Group C 8.746462 13.89042 7.55912 19.65221 10.90535 8.428291 19.78185 12.64244 9.787353 8.425217 14.56776 7.299342 15.66536 12.35548 7.782028 21.1573 10.02893 10.53812 8.746462 14.56776 8.425217 16.85043 10.5816 7.782028 19.78185 11.08489 10.27905 Table 2. Brinell Hardness Test Results Figure 3 below displays a comparison of results between all three groups of the Rockwell Hardness Test. Figure 3. Rockwell Hardness vs. Material Brinell Hardness vs. Load Separated by Material 5
Figure 4. Brinell Hardness Scatter Plots with Confidence Ellipses V. Discussion The Rockwell Hardness results in Table 1 shows that all of the groups had very similar results with steel. The Rockwell Hardness was 69.5, the copper had a Rockwell hardness of 39.0, and the aluminum had a rockwell hardness of 50.5. In figure 3, The rockwell Hardness test shows that the material with the greatest strength was steel, then aluminum, then finally copper. The results from this test indicate precision and accuracy. The results from the Brinell hardness test indicate that there was an error in calculation for one of the groups A, B, or C. Presented in table 2 and figure 4, the data shows that Group A has significantly higher numerical values than Group B and C. Even with the difference in numerical data between the groups, the steel data from Group B, and the aluminum data from group C, there is a positive correlation between increasing harness and increasing load for the test in figure 4. Group A and B reveal that the load applied for steel shows much less of a correlation with hardness than the other materials, and the data of all groups show a large confidence interval for steel. 6
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
  • Access to all documents
  • Unlimited textbook solutions
  • 24/7 expert homework help
The Rockwell Hardness Test showed all groups yielding similar results. This test also leaves less room for error because there is no calculation needed. The diameter also does not have to be measured. The errors that did occur during the Rockwell Hardness test are the zeroing of the tester, measurement observation, and user error. Errors that occurred during the Brinell Hardness test include user error, calculation error, mechanical error, and measurement error. VI. Conclusion The results of the hardness tests indicate that steel exhibited the highest Rockwell Hardness, followed by aluminum and then brass. The Rockwell Hardness Test showed to have consistent results due to them being fairly similar. The Rockwell Hardness Test displayed that steel was the hardest material, followed by aluminum, then brass. Although all groups had miniscule differences, Group B finished with the greatest values, followed by Group A then B. This test demonstrated advantages in terms of simplicity and reduced potential for measurement errors. The Brinell Hardness Test results showed that Group A had significantly higher values compared to Groups B and C. This means there could have been a few errors in the laboratory procedure for Group A or B and C. Despite these differences, increasing loads and hardness results showed a correlation for all groups. It revealed a general trend of increasing hardness with increasing load. The Brinell Test results also revealed a larger confidence interval for steel across all groups. 7