Knoop hardness test

The Knoop hardness test is a microhardness test - a test for mechanical hardness used particularly for very brittle materials or thin sheets, where only a small indentation may be made for testing purposes. A pyramidal diamond point is pressed into the polished surface of the test material with a known force, for a specified dwell time, and the resulting indentation is measured using a microscope. The Knoop hardness HK or KHN is then given by the formula:

$HK={{load({\mbox{kgf}})} \over {impression\ area({\mbox{mm}}^{2})}}={P \over {C_{p}L^{2}}}$

where:

L = length of indentation along its long axis

C_p = correction factor related to the shape of the indenter, ideally 0.070279

P = load

HK values are typically in the range from 100 to 1000, when specified in the conventional units of kg_f·mm^-2. The SI unit, pascals, are sometimes used instead: 1 kg_f·mm^-2 = 9.80665 MPa.

The test was developed by Frederick Knoop and colleagues at the National Bureau of Standards (now NIST) of the USA in 1939, and is defined by the ASTM D1474 standard.

The advantages of the test are that only a very small sample of material is required, and that it is valid for a wide range of test forces. The main disadvantages are the difficulty of using a microscope to measure the indentation (with an accuracy of 0.5 micrometre), and the time needed to prepare the sample and apply the indenter.

Sample values

Material	HK
Gold foil	69
Quartz	820
Silicon carbide	2480
Diamond	8000

See also

• Vickers hardness test
• Knoop hardness of ceramics

External links

• efunda