ASTM-E18-2008b

Designation:E18–08bAnAmericanNationalStandardStandardTestMethodsforRockwellHardnessofMetallicMaterials1,2ThisstandardisissuedunderthefixeddesignationE18;thenumberimmediatelyfollowingthedesignationindicatestheyearoforiginaladoptionor,inthecaseofrevision,theyearoflastrevision.Anumberinparenthesesindicatestheyearoflastreapproval.Asuperscriptepsilon(´)indicatesaneditorialchangesincethelastrevisionorreapproval.ThisstandardhasbeenapprovedforusebyagenciesoftheDepartmentofDefense.1.Scope*1.1ThesetestmethodscoverthedeterminationoftheRockwellhardnessandtheRockwellsuperficialhardnessofmetallicmaterialsbytheRockwellindentationhardnessprin-ciple.ThisstandardprovidestherequirementsforRockwellhardnessmachinesandtheproceduresforperformingRock-wellhardnesstests.1.2Thisstandardincludesadditionalrequirementsinan-nexes:VerificationofRockwellHardnessTestingMachinesAnnexA1RockwellHardnessStandardizingMachinesAnnexA2StandardizationofRockwellIndentersAnnexA3StandardizationofRockwellHardnessTestBlocksAnnexA4GuidelinesforDeterminingtheMinimumThicknessofaTestPieceAnnexA5HardnessValueCorrectionsWhenTestingonConvexCylindricalSurfacesAnnexA61.3ThisstandardincludesnonmandatoryinformationinappendixeswhichrelatestotheRockwellhardnesstest.ListofASTMStandardsGivingHardnessValuesCorre-spondingtoTensileStrengthAppendixX1ExamplesofProceduresforDeterminingRockwellHardnessUncertaintyAppendixX21.4Units—AtthetimetheRockwellhardnesstestwasdeveloped,theforcelevelswerespecifiedinunitsofkilograms-force(kgf)andtheindenterballdiameterswerespecifiedinunitsofinches(in.).ThisstandardspecifiestheunitsofforceandlengthintheInternationalSystemofUnits(SI);thatis,forceinNewtons(N)andlengthinmillimeters(mm).However,becauseofthehistoricalprecedentandcontinuedcommonusage,forcevaluesinkgfunitsandballdiametersininchunitsareprovidedforinformationandmuchofthediscussioninthisstandardreferstotheseunits.1.5Thetestprinciples,testingprocedures,andverificationproceduresareessentiallyidenticalforboththeRockwellandRockwellsuperficialhardnesstests.ThesignificantdifferencesbetweenthetwotestsarethatthetestforcesaresmallerfortheRockwellsuperficialtestthanfortheRockwelltest.Thesametypeandsizeindentersmaybeusedforeithertest,dependingonthescalebeingemployed.Accordingly,throughoutthisstandard,thetermRockwellwillimplybothRockwellandRockwellsuperficialunlessstatedotherwise.1.6Thisstandarddoesnotpurporttoaddressallofthesafetyconcerns,ifany,associatedwithitsuse.Itistheresponsibilityoftheuserofthisstandardtoestablishappro-priatesafetyandhealthpracticesanddeterminetheapplica-bilityofregulatorylimitationspriortouse.2.ReferencedDocuments2.1ASTMStandards:3A370TestMethodsandDefinitionsforMechanicalTestingofSteelProductsA623SpecificationforTinMillProducts,GeneralRequire-mentsA623MSpecificationforTinMillProducts,GeneralRe-quirements[Metric]B19SpecificationforCartridgeBrassSheet,Strip,Plate,Bar,andDisksB36/B36MSpecificationforBrassPlate,Sheet,Strip,AndRolledBarB96/B96MSpecificationforCopper-SiliconAlloyPlate,Sheet,Strip,andRolledBarforGeneralPurposesandPressureVesselsB103/B103MSpecificationforPhosphorBronzePlate,Sheet,Strip,andRolledBarB121/B121MSpecificationforLeadedBrassPlate,Sheet,Strip,andRolledBarB122/B122MSpecificationforCopper-Nickel-TinAlloy,Copper-Nickel-ZincAlloy(NickelSilver),andCopper-NickelAlloyPlate,Sheet,Strip,andRolledBarB130SpecificationforCommercialBronzeStripforBulletJacketsB134/B134MSpecificationforBrassWireB152/B152MSpecificationforCopperSheet,Strip,Plate,andRolledBar1ThesetestmethodsareunderthejurisdictionofASTMCommitteeE28onMechanicalTestingandarethedirectresponsibilityofSubcommitteeE28.06onIndentationHardnessTesting.CurrenteditionapprovedDec.1,2008.PublishedJanuary2009.Originallyapprovedin1932.Lastpreviouseditionapprovedin2008asE18–08a.2Inthistestmethod,thetermRockwellreferstoaninternationallyrecognizedtypeofindentationhardnesstestasdefinedinSection3,andnottothehardnesstestingequipmentofaparticularmanufacturer.3ForreferencedASTMstandards,visittheASTMwebsite,@astm.org.ForAnnualBookofASTMStandardsvolumeinformation,refertothestandard’sDocumentSummarypageontheASTMwebsite.1*ASummaryofChangessectionappearsattheendofthisstandard.Copyright©ASTMInternational,100BarrHarborDrive,POBoxC700,WestConshohocken,PA19428-2959,UnitedStates.B370SpecificationforCopperSheetandStripforBuildingConstructionE29PracticeforUsingSignificantDigitsinTestDatatoDetermineConformancewithSpecificationsE92TestMethodforVickersHardnessofMetallicMate-rialsE140HardnessConversionTablesforMetalsRelationshipAmongBrinellHardness,VickersHardness,RockwellHardness,SuperficialHardness,KnoopHardness,andScleroscopeHardnessE384TestMethodforMicroindentationHardnessofMa-terialsE691PracticeforConductinganInterlaboratoryStudytoDeterminethePrecisionofaTestMethod2.2AmericanBearingsManufacturerAssociationStan-dard:ABMA10-1989MetalBalls42.3ISOStandards:ISO6508-1MetallicMaterials—RockwellHardnessTest—Part1:TestMethod(scalesA,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,K,N,T)5ISO/IEC17011ConformityAssessment—GeneralRequire-mentsforAccreditation