Hardness comparison
Encyclopedia
There are a large number of hardness testing methods available (e.g. Vickers
, Brinell
, Rockwell
, Meyer
and Leeb
). Although it is impossible in many cases to give an exact conversion, it is possible to give an approximate material-specific comparison table e.g. for steel
s.
Vickers hardness test
The Vickers hardness test was developed in 1924 by Smith and Sandland at Vickers Ltd as an alternative to the Brinell method to measure the hardness of materials. The Vickers test is often easier to use than other hardness tests since the required calculations are independent of the size of the...
, Brinell
Brinell scale
The Brinell scale characterizes the indentation hardness of materials through the scale of penetration of an indenter, loaded on a material test-piece. It is one of several definitions of hardness in materials science....
, Rockwell
Rockwell scale
The Rockwell scale is a hardness scale based on the indentation hardness of a material. The Rockwell test determines the hardness by measuring the depth of penetration of an indenter under a large load compared to the penetration made by a preload. There are different scales, denoted by a single...
, Meyer
Meyer hardness test
The Meyer hardness test is a rarely used hardness test based upon projected area of an impression. This is a more fundamental measurement of hardness than other hardness tests which are based on the surface area of an indentation. The principle behind the test is that the mean pressure required to...
and Leeb
Leeb rebound hardness test
The Leeb rebound hardness test is one of the four most used method for testing metal hardness. This portable method is mainly used for testing sufficiently large workpieces .-History:...
). Although it is impossible in many cases to give an exact conversion, it is possible to give an approximate material-specific comparison table e.g. for steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
s.
Hardness comparison table
| Brinell HB (10 mm Ball, 3000 kg load) | Vickers HV (120 kg) | Rockwell C HRC (120 degree cone 150 kg) | Rockwell B HRB (1/16" ball 100 kg) | Leeb HLD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 800 | ||||
| 72 | ||||
| 857 | ||||
| 780 | 1220 | 71 | ||
| 850 | ||||
| 760 | 1170 | 70 | ||
| 843 | ||||
| 745 | 1114 | 68 | ||
| 837 | ||||
| 725 | 1060 | 67 | ||
| 829 | ||||
| 712 | 1021 | 66 | ||
| 824 | ||||
| 682 | 940 | 65 | ||
| 812 | ||||
| 668 | 905 | 64 | ||
| 806 | ||||
| 652 | 867 | 63 | ||
| 799 | ||||
| 626 | 803 | 62 | ||
| 787 | ||||
| 614 | 775 | 61 | ||
| 782 | ||||
| 601 | 746 | 60 | ||
| 776 | ||||
| 590 | 727 | 59 | ||
| 770 | ||||
| 576 | 694 | 57 | ||
| 763 | ||||
| 552 | 649 | 56 | ||
| 751 | ||||
| 545 | 639 | 55 | ||
| 748 | ||||
| 529 | 606 | 54 | ||
| 739 | ||||
| 514 | 587 | 53 | 120 | 731 |
| 502 | 565 | 52 | 119 | 724 |
| 495 | 551 | 51 | 119 | 719 |
| 477 | 534 | 49 | 118 | 709 |
| 461 | 502 | 48 | 117 | 699 |
| 451 | 489 | 47 | 117 | 693 |
| 444 | 474 | 46 | 116 | 688 |
| 427 | 460 | 45 | 115 | 677 |
| 415 | 435 | 44 | 115 | 669 |
| 401 | 423 | 43 | 114 | 660 |
| 388 | 401 | 42 | 114 | 650 |
| 375 | 390 | 41 | 113 | 640 |
| 370 | 385 | 40 | 112 | 635 |
| 362 | 380 | 39 | 111 | 630 |
| 351 | 361 | 38 | 111 | 621 |
| 346 | 352 | 37 | 110 | 617 |
| 341 | 344 | 37 | 110 | 613 |
| 331 | 335 | 36 | 109 | 605 |
| 323 | 320 | 35 | 109 | 599 |
| 311 | 312 | 34 | 108 | 588 |
| 301 | 305 | 33 | 107 | 579 |
| 293 | 291 | 32 | 106 | 572 |
| 285 | 285 | 31 | 105 | 565 |
| 276 | 278 | 30 | 105 | 557 |
| 269 | 272 | 29 | 104 | 550 |
| 261 | 261 | 28 | 103 | 542 |
| 258 | 258 | 27 | 102 | 539 |
| 249 | 250 | 25 | 101 | 530 |
| 245 | 246 | 24 | 100 | 526 |
| 240 | 240 | 23 | 99 | 521 |
| 237 | 235 | 23 | 99 | 518 |
| 229 | 226 | 22 | 98 | 510 |
| 224 | 221 | 21 | 97 | 505 |
| 217 | 217 | 20 | 96 | 497 |
| 211 | 213 | 19 | 95 | 491 |
| 206 | 209 | 18 | 94 | 485 |
| 203 | 201 | 17 | 94 | 482 |
| 200 | 199 | 16 | 93 | 478 |
| 196 | 197 | 15 | 92 | 474 |
| 191 | 190 | 14 | 92 | 468 |
| 187 | 186 | 13 | 91 | 463 |
| 185 | 184 | 12 | 91 | 461 |
| 183 | 183 | 11 | 90 | 459 |
| 180 | 177 | 10 | 89 | 455 |
| 175 | 174 | 9 | 88 | 449 |
| 170 | 191 | 7 | 87 | 443 |
| 167 | 168 | 6 | 87 | 439 |
| 165 | 165 | 5 | 86 | 437 |
| 163 | 162 | 4 | 85 | 434 |
| 160 | 159 | 3 | 84 | 430 |
| 156 | 154 | 2 | 83 | 425 |
| 154 | 152 | 1 | 82 | 423 |
| 152 | 150 | |||
| 82 | 420 | |||
| 150 | 149 | |||
| 81 | 417 | |||
| 147 | 147 | |||
| 80 | 413 | |||
| 145 | 146 | |||
| 79 | 411 | |||
| 143 | 144 | |||
| 79 | 408 | |||
| 141 | 142 | |||
| 78 | 405 | |||
| 140 | 141 | |||
| 77 | 404 | |||
| 135 | 135 | |||
| 75 | 397 | |||
| 130 | 130 | |||
| 72 | 390 | |||
| 114 | 120 | |||
| 67 | 365 | |||
| 105 | 110 | |||
| 62 | 350 | |||
| 95 | 100 | |||
| 56 | 331 | |||
| 90 | 95 | |||
| 52 | 321 | |||
| 81 | 85 | |||
| 41 | 300 | |||
| 76 | 80 | |||
| 37 | 287 | |||
External links
- Hardness Conversion Table - Brinell, Rockwell,Vickers - Various steels
- Rockwell to Brinell conversion chart (Brinell, Rockwell A,B,C)
- Struers hardness conversion table (Vickers, Brinell, Rockwell B,C,D)
- Brinell Hardness HB conversion chart (N/mm2, Brinell, Vickers, Rockwell C)