LAB REPORT

COURSE : MATS-1021-04

COURSE NAME : FERROUS METALLURGY

EXPERIMENT NO. : 03

TITLE : HARDNESS TESTING AND METALLGRAPHY

NAME : Navdeep Singh

STUDENT ID : 0786405

CLASS : PEM1.1A

SUBMISSION DATE : 25-07-2016

METALLOGRAPHY AND PHASE IDENTIFICATION OF
AISI 4140 STEEL :

Martensite
Ferrite

Pearlite

ANNEALED HEAT TREATED

Phase : 50 % pearlite and 50 % ferrite in Annealed

Martensite present in Heat treated sample.
Specimens were etched with 2% natal.
Magnification: 400
HARDNESS OBSERVATIONS:-
Table 1.- Rockwell hardness of AISI 4140 Annealed steel:
Readings Hardness(HRB)
1 84.4
2 85.6
3 88.7
4 84.7
Average 85.85

Table 2.- Rockwell hardness of AISI 4140 Heat treated

steel:
Readings Hardness(HRC)
1 60.1
2 60.3
3 60.2
4 59.9
Average 60.125
Table 3.- Brinell hardness of AISI 4140 Annealed steel:
Load: 3000 kg
Ball diameter: 10mm
Readings Indentation(mm) Brinell Hardness(HRB)
1 4.5 179
2 4.4 187
3 4.4 187
Average 184.33

Table 4.- Brinell hardness of AISI 4140 Heat treated steel:

Load : 3000 kg
Ball diameter : 10 mm
Readings Indentation(mm) Brinell Hardness(HRB)
1 2.2 782
2 2.1 857
3 2.3 713
Average 784
Table 5- Comparison of Hardness results of AISI 4140 for
both annealed and heat treated steel:

Hardness Results Annealed Heat treated

Rockwell observations 85.85(HRB) 60.125(HRC)
Rockwell(from brinell) 90(HRB) 67.5(HRC)
Brinell Obserations 184.33 784
Brinell(from Rockwell) 167 656
QUESTIONS:
1). What phases are present in the annealed specimen? What phase is
present in the hardened specimen? Why should you get a greater range
of results on the annealed specimen compared to the hardened
specimen?

Ans. From the above results, it can be concluded that there are two
phases present in the annealed specimen that were ferrite and pearlite.
In annealed specimen both pearlite and ferrite are present in same
percentage that was 50 percent. It is interesting to note that only one
phase was present in the hardened that was tempered martensite.

The greater range of results was found in annealed specimen because

there were two phase ferrite and pearlite present in the annealed
specimen which were having different hardness values. Ferrite is
limited solution of carbon in Iron with BCC structure and found softer
than the pearlite phase so, when indenters force act on the annealed
specimen different values of hardness found because of difference in
the hardness values of two existing phases but in Hardened specimen
only one phase exists that was tempered martensite due to which
hardness result is more reproducible and less range of hardness comes
out.
2. Using Metal Handbook, desk edition 1.60/1(or any other source you
can find).

a)Is Rockwell C51 harder or softer than Brinell 500?

b) Is Rockwell B 85 harder or softer than Brinell 165 ?

Ans. After looking the hardness comparison chart from the Metal hand
book , it was found that :

(a) Rockwell C51 softer than Brinell 500.

(b) Rockwell B85 have same hardness value as Brinell 165.

CONCLUSION:
From the above analysis, it was observed that Hardened steel sample
posses higher hardness value as compare to the Annealed specimen
.There is huge difference in the figure for Brinell hardness both
hardened sample and annealed sample that were 784 and 184.33
consecutively. The reason behind that only one phase is present in the
hardened sample which was martensite that posses high hardness
value. Whereas , two phases ferrite and pearlite present in the
annealed sample which make it softer because the ferrite is softer in
nature as compared to other phase.

The high reproducibility was found in values of Rockwell hardness for

AISI 4140 Hardened steel as compare to AISI 4140 Annealed sample .
Similarly, same result found for Berinell harness values , high
reproducibility was found in in values of Rockwell hardness for AISI
4140 Hardened steel as compare to AISI 4140 Annealed sample
REFRENCES:
(1) https://www.engineersedge.com/hardness_conversion.htm

(2) Metal Handbook, desk edition 1.60/1