How Do Stainless Steel Tube Suppliers Measure Its Hardness?
1. BRINELL
Among the stainless steel pipe standards, BRINELL hardness is the most widely used, and the hardness of the material is often expressed by the indentation diameter, which is both intuitive and convenient. But it is not suitable for steel pipes of harder or thinner steel.
2. ROCKWELL
The Rockwell hardness test of stainless steel pipe is the same as the Brinell hardness test, which is the indentation test method. The difference is that it measures the depth of the indentation. Rockwell hardness test is currently a widely used method, among which HRC is second only to Brinell hardness HB in steel pipe standards. Rockwell hardness can be used to measure metal materials from extremely soft to extremely hard. It makes up for the difference of the Brinell method and is simpler than the Brinell method. The hardness value can be read directly from the dial of the hardness machine. However, due to its small indentation, the hardness value is not as accurate as of the Brinell method.
3. VICKERS
The stainless steel tube Vickers hardness test is also an indentation test method, which can be used to determine the hardness of very thin metal materials and surface layers. It has the main advantages of the Brinell and Rockwell method and overcomes their basic shortcomings, but it is not as simple as the Rockwell method. Vickers method is rarely used in steel pipe standards.