Designation: C 1327 – 08

Standard Test Method for

Vickers Indentation Hardness of Advanced Ceramics1
This standard is issued under the fixed designation C 1327; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.

1. Scope 2.4 ISO Standard:

1.1 This test method covers the determination of the Vickers ISO 6507/2 Metallic Materials—Hardness test—Vickers
indentation hardness of advanced ceramics. test—Part 2: HV0.2 to less than HV55
1.2 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as 3. Terminology
standard. No other units of measurement are included in this
standard. 3.1 Definition:
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the 3.1.1 Vickers hardness number (HV), n—an expression of
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the hardness obtained by dividing the force applied to a Vickers
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro- indenter by the surface area of the permanent impression made
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica- by the indenter.
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use. 3.1.2 Vickers indenter, n—a square-based pyramidal-shaped
diamond indenter with face angles of 136° 008.
2. Referenced Documents
4. Summary of Test Method
2.1 ASTM Standards: 2
E 4 Practices for Force Verification of Testing Machines 4.1 This test method describes an indentation hardness test
E 177 Practice for Use of the Terms Precision and Bias in using a calibrated machine to force a pointed, square base,
ASTM Test Methods pyramidal diamond indenter having specified face angles,
E 384 Test Method for Microindentation Hardness of Ma- under a predetermined load, into the surface of the material
terials under test and to measure the surface-projected diagonals of
E 691 Practice for Conducting an Interlaboratory Study to the resulting impression after removal of the load.
Determine the Precision of a Test Method NOTE 1—A general description of the Vickers indentation hardness test
IEEE/ASTM SI 10 Standard for the Use of the International is given in Test Method E 384. The present method is very similar, has
System of Units (SI): The Modern Metric System. most of the same requirements, and differs only in areas required by the
2.2 European Standard: special nature of advanced ceramics. This test method also has many
elements in common with standards ENV 843-4 and JIS R 1610, which
CEN ENV 843-4 Advanced Technical Ceramics, Mono-
are also for advanced ceramics.
lithic Ceramics, Mechanical Properties at Room Tempera-
ture, Part 4: Vickers, Knoop and Rockwell Superficial 5. Significance and Use
Hardness3 5.1 For advanced ceramics, Vickers indenters are used to
2.3 Japanese Standard: create indentations whose surface-projected diagonals are mea-
JIS R 1610 Testing Method for Vickers Hardness of High sured with optical microscopes. The Vickers indenter creates a
Performance Ceramics4 square impression from which two surface-projected diagonal
lengths are measured. Vickers hardness is calculated from the
1
ratio of the applied load to the area of contact of the four faces
This test method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee C28 on of the undeformed indenter. (In contrast, Knoop indenters are
Advanced Ceramics and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee C28.01 on
Mechanical Properties and Performance. also used to measure hardness, but Knoop hardness is calcu-
Current edition approved Aug. 1, 2008. Published September 2008. Originally lated from the ratio of the applied load to the projected area on
approved in 1996. Last previous edition approved in 2003 as C 1327 – 03. the specimen surface.)
2
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM
5.2 Vickers indentation hardness is one of many properties
Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on that is used to characterize advanced ceramics. Attempts have
the ASTM website.
3
Available from European Committee for Standardization (CEN), 36 rue de
5
Stassart, B-1050, Brussels, Belgium, http://www.cenorm.be. Available from International Organization for Standardization (ISO), 1, ch. de
4
Available from Japanese Standards Organization (JSA), 4-1-24 Akasaka la Voie-Creuse, Case postale 56, CH-1211, Geneva 20, Switzerland, http://
Minato-Ku, Tokyo, 107-8440, Japan, http://www.jsa.or.jp. www.iso.ch.

Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.

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 C 1327 – 08
been made to relate Vickers indentation hardness to other
hardness scales, but no generally accepted methods are avail-
able. Such conversions are limited in scope and should be used
with caution, except for special cases where a reliable basis for
the conversion has been obtained by comparison tests.
5.3 Vickers indentation diagonal lengths are approximately
2.8 times shorter than the long diagonal of Knoop indentations,
and the indentation depth is approximately 1.5 times deeper
than Knoop indentations made at the same force.
5.4 Vickers indentations are influenced less by specimen
surface flatness, parallelism, and surface finish than Knoop
indentations, but these parameters must be considered none-
theless.
5.5 Vickers indentations are much more likely to cause
cracks in advanced ceramics than Knoop indentations. The
cracks may influence the measured hardness by fundamentally
altering the deformation processes that contribute to the
formation of an impression, and they may impair or preclude FIG. 1 Vickers Indenter
measurement of the diagonal lengths due to excessive damage
at the indentation tips or sides.
5.6 A full hardness characterization includes measurements microscopes. Usually, this second type is fitted on an inverted-
over a broad range of indentation forces. Vickers hardness of stage microscope. Descriptions of the various machines are
ceramics usually decreases with increasing indentation size or available (1–3).6
indentation force. The trend is known as the indentation size 7.1.2 Design of the machine should be such that the loading
effect (ISE). Hardness approaches a plateau constant hardness rate, dwell time, and applied load can be set within the limits
at sufficiently large indentation size or forces. The test forces or set forth in 10.5. It is an advantage to eliminate the human
loads that are needed to achieve a constant hardness vary with element whenever possible by appropriate machine design.
the ceramic. The test force specified in this standard is intended The machine should be designed so that vibrations induced at
to be sufficiently large that hardness is either close to or on the the beginning of a test will be damped out by the time the
plateau, but not so large as to introduce excessive cracking. A indenter touches the sample.
comprehensive characterization of the ISE is recommended but 7.1.3 The calibration of the balance beam should be checked
is beyond the scope of this test method, which measures monthly or as needed. Indentations in standard reference
hardness at a single, designated force. materials may also be used to check calibration when needed.
7.2 Indenter:
6. Interferences 7.2.1 The indenter shall meet the specifications for Vickers
6.1 Cracking from the indentation tips can interfere with indenters. See Test Method E 384. The four edges formed by
determination of tip location and thus the diagonal length the four faces of the indenter shall be sharp. Chamfered edges
measurements. (as in Ref (4)) are not permitted. The tip offset shall be not
6.2 Cracking or spalling around the Vickers impression may more than 0.5 µm in length.
occur and alter the shape and clarity of the indentation, 7.2.2 Fig. 1 shows the indenter. The depth of the indentation
especially for coarse-grained ceramics whereby grains may is 1⁄7 the length of the diagonal. The indenter has an angle
cleave and dislodge. The cracking may occur in a time- between opposite faces of 136° 0 min (630 min).
dependent manner (minutes or hours) after the impression is 7.2.3 The diamond should be examined periodically; and if
made. it is loose in the mounting material, chipped, or cracked, it shall
6.3 Porosity (either on or just below the surface) may be replaced.
interfere with measuring Vickers hardness, especially if the NOTE 2—This requirement is from Test Method E 384 and is especially
indentation falls directly onto a large pore or if the indentation pertinent to Vickers indenters used for advanced ceramics. Vickers
tip falls in a pore. indenters are often used at high loads in advanced ceramics in order to
6.4 At higher magnifications in the optical microscope, it create cracks. Such usage can lead to indenter damage. The diamond
may be difficult to obtain a sharp contrast between the indenter can be examined with a scanning electron microscope, or indents
can be made into soft copper to help determine if a chip or crack is present.
indentation tip and the polished surface of some advanced
ceramics. This may be overcome by careful adjustment of the 7.3 Measuring Microscope:
lighting as discussed in Test Method E 384. 7.3.1 The measurement system shall be constructed so that
the length of the diagonals can be determined with errors not
7. Apparatus exceeding6 0.0005 mm.
7.1 Testing Machines:
7.1.1 There are two general types of machines available for
making this test. One type is a self-contained unit built for this 6
The boldface numbers in parentheses refer to the list of references at the end of
purpose, and the other type is an accessory available to existing this test method.

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 C 1327 – 08
NOTE 3—Stage micrometres with uncertainties less than this should be 10. Procedure
used to establish calibration constants for the microscope. See Test
Method E 384. Ordinary stage micrometres, which are intended for
10.1 Specimen Placement—Place the specimen on the stage
determining the approximate magnification of photographs, may be too of the machine so that the specimen will not rock or shift
coarsely ruled or may not have the required accuracy and precision. during the measurement. The specimen surface shall be clean
and free of any grease or film.
7.3.2 The numerical aperture (NA) of the objective lens
10.2 Specimen Leveling:
shall be between 0.60 and 0.90.
10.2.1 The surface of the specimen being tested shall lie in
NOTE 4—The apparent length of a Vickers indentation will increase as a plane normal to the axis of the indenter. The angle of the
the resolving power and NA of a lens increases. The variation is much less indenter and specimen surface should be within 2° of perpen-
than that observed in Knoop indentations, however (2), (5), (6). The range
dicular.
of NA specified by this test method corresponds to 40 to 1003 objective
lenses. The higher power lenses may have higher resolution, but the NOTE 6—Greater amounts of tilting produce nonuniform indentations
contrast between the indentation tips and the polished surface may be less. and invalid test results. 2° tilt will cause an asymmetrical indentation
7.3.3 A filter may be used to provide monochromatic which is just noticeable, and will cause a 1 % error in hardness (9).
illumination. Green filters have proved to be useful. 10.2.2 If one leg of a diagonal is noticeably longer than the
other leg of the same diagonal, resulting in a deformed
8. Test Specimens indentation, misalignment is probably present and should be
8.1 The Vickers indentation hardness test is adaptable to a corrected before proceeding with any measurements. See Test
wide variety of advanced ceramic specimens. In general, the Method E 384.
accuracy of the test will depend on the smoothness of the 10.2.3 Leveling the specimen is facilitated if one has a
surface and, whenever possible, ground and polished speci- leveling device.8
mens should be used. The back of the specimen shall be fixed 10.3 Magnitude of Test Force—A test force of 9.81 N (1
so that the specimen cannot rock or shift during the test. kgf) is specified. If other forces are used because of a special
8.1.1 Thickness—As long as the specimen is over ten times requirement, or due to cracking problems at 9.81 N, then the
as thick as the indentation depth, the test will not be affected. reporting procedure of 12.6 shall be used. If additional forces
In general, if specimens are at least 0.50 mm thick, the are used (for example to measure the indentation size effect
hardness will not be affected by variations in the thickness. trend), then the reporting procedure of 12.6 shall be used for
8.1.2 Surface Finish—Specimens should have a ground and each data set.
polished surface. The roughness should be less than 0.1 µm
NOTE 7—“Load” and “Force” are used interchangeably in this standard.
rms. However, if one is investigating a surface coating or
treatment, one cannot grind and polish the specimen. 10.4 Clean the Indenter—The indenter shall be cleaned
prior to and during a test series. A cotton swab with ethanol,
NOTE 5—This requirement is necessary to ensure that the surface is flat
methanol, or isopropanol may be used. Indenting into soft
and that the indentation is sharp. Residual stresses from polishing are of
less concern for most advanced ceramics than for glasses or metals. copper also may help remove debris.
References (7) and (8) report that surfaces prepared with 1 µm or finer NOTE 8—Ceramic powders or fragments from the ceramic test piece
diamond abrasive had no effect on measured ceramic hardness. Hardness can adhere to the diamond indenter.
was only affected when the surface finish had an optically resolvable
amount of abrasive damage (7). (Extra caution may be appropriate during 10.5 Application of Test Load:
polishing of transformation toughening ceramics, such as some zirconias, 10.5.1 Start the machine smoothly. The rate of indenter
since the effect upon hardness is not known.) motion prior to contact with the specimen shall be 0.015 to
0.070 mm/s. If the machine is loaded by an electrical system or
9. Preparation of Apparatus a dash-pot lever system, it should be mounted on shock
9.1 Verification of Load—Most of the machines available absorbers which damp out all vibrations by the time the
for Vickers hardness testing use a loaded beam. This beam indenter touches the specimen.
shall be tested for zero load. An indentation should not be
NOTE 9—This rate of loading is consistent with Test Method E 384.
visible with zero load, but the indenter should contact the
sample. Methods of verifying the load application are given in 10.5.2 The time of application of the full test load shall be
Practices E 4. 15 s (62) unless otherwise specified. After the indenter has
9.2 Separate Verification of Load, Indenter, and Measuring been in contact with the specimen from this required dwell
Microscope—Procedures in Test Method E 384, Section 14, time, raise it carefully off the specimen to avoid a vibration
may be followed. impact.
9.3 Verification by Standard Reference Materials—Standard 10.5.3 The operator shall not bump or inadvertently contact
reference blocks, SRM No. 2831, of tungsten carbide that are the test machine or associated support (for example, the table)
available from the National Institute of Standards and Tech- during the period of indenter contact with the specimen.
nology7 can be used to verify that an apparatus produces a
Vickers hardness within6 5 % of the certified value.
8
The sole source of supply of the apparatus known to the committee at this time
is the Tukon Tester leveling device, available from the Wilson Division of Instron
7
Available from National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Corp. If you are aware of alternative suppliers, please provide this information to
Standard Reference Materials Program, 100 Bureau Dr., Stop 2300, Gaithersburg, ASTM Headquarters. Your comments will receive careful consideration at a meeting
MD 20899-2300, http://www.nist.gov. of the responsible technical committee, which you may attend.

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 C 1327 – 08
as soon as is practical after the indentation is made. That is,
each indent should be measured immediately after it is made
(instead of making five or ten indentations and then measuring
them).
10.9 Location of Indentations—Indentations shall be made
in representative areas of the advanced ceramic microstructure.
They shall not be restricted to high density regions if such
regions exist.
10.10 Number of Indentations—For homogeneous and fully
dense advanced ceramics, at least five and preferably ten
acceptable indentations shall be made. If the ceramic is
multiphase, not homogeneous, or not fully dense, ten accept-
able indentations shall be made.
11. Measurement of Indentation Size
11.1 The accuracy of the test method depends to a very large
extent on this measurement, since hardness depends upon the
inverse square of the diagonal size.
11.1.1 If the measuring system contains a light source, take
care to use the system only after it has reached equilibrium
temperature. This is because the magnification of a microscope
depends on the tube length.
11.1.2 Calibrate the measuring system carefully with an
FIG. 2 Closest Permitted Spacing for Vickers Indentations
accurate and precision stage micrometer or with an optical
grating.
10.6 Spacing of Indentations—Allow a distance of at least 11.1.3 Adjust the illumination and focusing conditions care-
four diagonal lengths between the centers of the indentations as fully as specified in Test Method E 384 to obtain the optimum
illustrated in Fig. 2. If there is cracking from the indentations, view and clarity of the impression. Proper focus and illumina-
the spacing shall be increased to at least five times the length tion are critical for accurate and precise readings. Both
of the cracks, as shown in Fig. 2. indentation tips shall be in focus at the same time. Do not
10.7 Acceptability of Indentations: change the focus once the measurement of the diagonal length
10.7.1 If there is excessive cracking from the indentation has begun.
tips and sides, or the indentation is asymmetric, the indent shall NOTE 12—The lighting intensity and the settings of the field and
be rejected for measurement. Fig. 3 provides guidance in this aperture diaphragms can have a noticeable effect upon the apparent
assessment. If the difference of the two diagonal lengths d1 and location of the tips in Vickers indentations. Consult the manufacturer’s
d2 is more than 5% of the mean value, the result shall be guidelines for optimum procedures. Additional information is presented in
Test Method E 384. In general, the field diaphragm can be closed so that
rejected and a check made of the parallelism and flatness of the
it barely enters or just disappears from the field of view. The aperture
test piece, and of the alignment of the indenter. If cracking diaphragm can be closed in order to reduce glare and sharpen the image,
occurs on most indentations, a lower indentation force (recom- but it should not be closed so much as to cause diffraction that distorts the
mended 4.90 N) may be tried. edges of the indentation.
NOTE 13—Uplift and curvature of the sides of the impressions may be
NOTE 10—If the indentations are still not acceptable, this test method substantial in impressions in advanced ceramics, which may cause the
shall not be used to measure hardness. It is recommended that hardness be sides of the impression to be slightly out of focus. The tips of the
evaluated by the Knoop hardness method. impression shall be focused on for measurement of the indentation
10.7.2 If an indentation tip falls in a pore, the indentation diagonals. It may be helpful to focus on a small microstructural feature on
shall be rejected. If the indentation lies in or on a large pore, the the flat specimen surface just beyond the indentation tips.
indent shall be rejected. 11.1.4 If either a measuring microscope or a filar microme-
NOTE 11—In many ceramics, porosity may be small and finely distrib- ter eyepiece is used, always rotate the drum in the same
uted. The indentations will intersect some porosity. The measured hard- direction to eliminate backlash errors.
ness in such instances properly reflects a diminished hardness relative to 11.1.5 Follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for the use of
the fully dense advanced ceramic. The intent of the restrictions in 10.6 is crosshairs or graduated lines. To eliminate the influence of the
to rule out obviously unsatisfactory or atypical indentations for measure- thickness of the line, always use the same edge of the crosshair
ment purposes. or graduation line. Caution—Serious systematic errors can
10.7.3 If the impression has an irregularity that indicates the occur due to improper crosshair usage. Procedures vary con-
indenter is chipped or cracked, the indent shall be rejected and siderably between different equipment. In nearly all instances,
the indenter shall be replaced. the crosshairs should not be placed entirely over or fully cover
10.8 In some materials, cracking around the indent may the indentation tip as shown in part (a) of Fig. 4. The
occur in a time dependent manner. If this occurs, the indenta- indentation tip should be just visible in the fringe of light on the
tion size measurements specified in Section 11 should be made side of the crosshair or graduated line as shown in part (b) of

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 C 1327 – 08

FIG. 3 Guidelines for the Acceptance of Indentations

Fig. 4 or part (c) of Fig. 4. In some measuring systems with gold/palladium coating) to improve the measurability of the
twin crosshairs, the measurement is made with the inside edge indents (4). Such coatings shall be less than 50 nm thick and
of the two lines as shown in part (b) of Fig. 4. In other shall be applied after the indentations have been made. Never
measuring systems, particularly those with a single moveable indent into coatings made to enhance visibility.
crosshair, the measurement is made with the same side of the
crosshair as shown in part (c) of Fig. 4. 12. Calculation
11.1.6 Read the two diagonals of the indent to within 12.1 Vickers hardness may be calculated and reported either
0.00025 mm and determine the average of the diagonal lengths. in units of GPa (12.2) or as Vickers hardness number (12.3).
11.1.7 Use the same filters in the light system at all times.
Usually a green filter is used. 12.2 The Vickers hardness with units of GPa is computed as
11.1.8 For transparent or translucent ceramics, where con- follows:
trast is poor, the specimen may be coated (for example, a HV 5 0.0018544 ~P/d 2 ! (1)

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 C 1327 – 08

FIG. 4 Crosshair Measurement

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 C 1327 – 08

where: 13.1.7 Surface conditions and surface preparation,

P = load, N, and 13.1.8 Thermal history of the sample,
d = average length of the two diagonals of the indentation, 13.1.9 The extent of cracking (if any) observed, and
mm. 13.1.10 Deviations from the specified procedures, if any.
13.1.11 Data on the indentation size effect trend if hardness
NOTE 14—This computation and set of units are in accordance with the
recommendations of IEEE/ASTM SI 10.
is measured over a range of indentation forces.
12.3 The Vickers hardness number is computed as follows: 14. Precision and Bias
2
HV 5 1.8544 ~P/d ! (2) 14.1 The precision and bias of microhardness measurements
depend on strict adherence to the stated test procedure and are
where: influenced by instrumental and material factors and indentation
P = load, kgf, and measurement errors.
d = average length of the two diagonals of the indentation,
14.2 The consistency of agreement for repeated tests on the
mm.
same material is dependent on the homogeneity of the material,
NOTE 15—This computation is consistent with Test Method E 384. repeatability and reproducibility of the hardness tester, and
Alternately, the Vickers hardness number also may be computed as consistent, careful measurements of the indents by a competent
follows: operator.
HV 5 ~0.102!~1.8544!~P/d 2 ! (3) 14.3 Instrumental factors that can affect test results include
accuracy of loading, inertia effects, speed of loading, vibra-
where: tions, the angle of indentation, lateral movement of the indenter
P = load, N, and
d = average length of the two diagonals of the indentation, mm.
or sample, indentation, and indenter shape deviations. Results
NOTE 16—This computation is consistent with ISO 6507/2, ENV are particularly sensitive to vibration or impact, which will
843-4, and JIS R 1610. produce larger indents and lower apparent hardness results.
NOTE 17—Eq 2 and Eq 3 compute the Vickers hardness number, which 14.4 The largest source of error or uncertainty in hardness
is a dimensionless number; for example, HV = 1500. HV formerly had usually arises from the error and uncertainty in the measure-
been assigned units of kgf/mm2. Eq 2 and Eq 3 produce the same Vickers ment of the diagonal length.
hardness number. 14.4.1 The harder the material, the smaller the indent size is.
NOTE 18—The factor 0.102 in Eq 3 becomes necessary through the
introduction of the SI unit newton for the test force instead of kilogram-
Therefore, hardness uncertainties are usually greater for harder
force to avoid changing the value of the Vickers hardness number from its materials.
traditional units. 14.4.2 Diagonal length measurement errors include inaccu-
rate calibration of the measuring device, inadequate resolving
12.4 The mean hardness, HV, is:
power of the objective, insufficient magnification, operator bias
( HVn in sizing the indents, poor image quality, and nonuniform
HV 5 n (4)
illumination. These can contribute to both bias and precision
errors.
where: 14.4.3 The numerical aperture (NA) of the objective lens
HV n = HV obtained from nth indentation and determines the maximum useful magnification and the resolv-
n = number of indentations. ing power of the microscope. The higher the NA of the lens, the
12.5 The standard deviation, S, is: longer the indentation will appear. This limited resolution leads
to a bias error since the microscope is not able to resolve the
S5 Œ ( ~H̄V̄ 2 HVn! 2
n21 (5) exact tip and thus leads to underestimates of the true length.
The theoretical shortening is estimated to be l/2NA, where l
12.6 The hardness symbol HV shall be supplemented by a is the wavelength of the light used (2), (5). Experimental
number indicating the test force used, expressed in newtons evidence indicates that actual shortening is less than this, but
multiplied by 0.102 (and therefore equal to the test force the use of different NA objective lenses will contribute to a
expressed in kilograms-force), and optionally a number indi- reproducibility (between-laboratory) uncertainty of less than
cating the duration of test force applications in seconds. So, for 60.2 µm (5), (6). (This error is substantially less for Vickers
example, HV1/15 means the Vickers hardness for an applied indentations than for Knoop indentations.)
test force of 9.81 N (1 kgf) applied for 15 s at full load. 14.5 A round robin was conducted to evaluate the suitability
of tungsten carbide-cobalt specimens as standard hardness test
13. Report
blocks9 (10, 11). The results of this eleven-laboratory round
13.1 The report shall include the following information: robin can be used to evaluate the precision of Vickers hardness
13.1.1 Mean HV, measurements for a hard material (;15 GPa) that does not
13.1.2 Test load, pose difficult measuring problems. Within-laboratory repeat-
13.1.3 Duration of test load, ability and between-laboratory reproducibility were evaluated
13.1.4 Standard deviation,
13.1.5 Test temperature and humidity,
13.1.6 Number of satisfactory indentations measured, as 9
Supporting data have been filed at ASTM International Headquarters and may
well as the total number of indents made, be obtained by requesting Research Report RR: C 28–1004.

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 C 1327 – 08
TABLE 1 Precision of Diagonal Length Measurements Estimated from an Interlaboratory Round Robin Project (10, 11)
Load, Number Grand Within-Laboratory Repeatability Between-Laboratory Reproducibility
P (N) of Average Standard Expanded Coefficient Standard Expanded Coefficient
Laboratories Diagonal Deviation UncertaintyA of Deviation UncertaintyA of
Length, (µm) (µm) Variation, (µm) (µm) Variation,
d (µm) % %
9.81B 10 34.5 0.2 0.6 0.6 1.1 2.9 3.0
9.81C 8 34.6 0.2 0.6 0.6 1.0 2.7 2.8
A
Coverage factor of 2.8, corresponding to a 95 % confidence interval.
B
Indentations made by organizing laboratory. Outlier results from one laboratory deleted.
C
Indentations made by participating laboratories. Outlier results from two laboratories deleted. One other laboratory did not do this part of the exercise.

in accordance with Practices E 177 and E 691. The results are and 1.3 % (coefficient of variation, COV), respectively. The
listed in Table 1, which shows the repeatability and reproduc- between-laboratory hardness reproducibilities were 6.1 and
ibility in measured diagonal lengths. The hardness repeatability 5.6 % (COV), respectively. The reproducibility estimates were
interval when expressed as a percentage is double the diagonal- made after deleting one or two outlier sets as noted in Table 1.
length repeatability interval. Participants read five indentations The reproducibility uncertainty includes both the hardness
made at 9.81 N at the organizing laboratory, and also made and measurement uncertainty and the variations in hardness
measured five of their own indentations at the same load. They (62.8 %, COV) of the eight blocks used in the round robin.
reported the average diagonal size for each of the five
indentations and the overall average for all five indentations. 15. Keywords
Table 1 shows the grand average of all accepted laboratory 15.1 advanced ceramics; cracks; indentation; microscope;
results. The within-laboratory hardness repeatabilities were 1.2 Vickers hardness

REFERENCES

(1) Small, L., Hardness Theory and Practice (Part I: Practice), Service Environment,” Third Annual Technical Report, October 1981, Cam-
Diamond Tool Co., Ann Arbor, MI, 1960, pp. 241–243. bridge University, England.
(2) Mott, B. W., Micro-Indentation Hardness Testing, Butterworth’s (8) Thibault, N. W., and Nyquist, H. L., “The Measured Hardness of Hard
Scientific Publications, London, 1956. Substances and Factors Affecting Its Determination,” Transactions of
(3) Blau, P. J., “Methods and Applications of Microindentation Hardness the American Society of Metals, Vol 38, 1947, pp. 271–330.
Testing,” Applied Metallography, Vander Voort, G. F., ed., Van
(9) Mulhearn, T. O., and Samuels, L. E., “The Errors Introduced into
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