Mechanical properties measurements with portable hardness testers: Advantages, limitations, prospects

Abstract

The article presents an analysis of the most common hardness measurement methods, implemented by portable hardness testers: Rebound or Leeb method, static Portable Rockwell (PR) method and Ultrasonic Contact Impedance (UCI) method. These methods are reviewed in terms of the physical nature of the measurements and the influence of the measured sample properties and the probe parameters on the measurement result. The review contains advantages of each method, possible applications, as well as limitations due to the operation principles of probes. The article also contains the analysis of solving the problem of measurement results validity and their conformity with standardized hardness scales.