A vickers hardness tester is an instrument used for measuring the hardness of materials.
It uses a positive quadrangular pyramid diamond indenter with an included angle of 136° between the opposite faces to press into the surface of the specimen with a certain test force. After maintaining for a specified time, the test force is removed, the length of the diagonal of the indentation is measured, and then the Vickers hardness value is calculated based on the length of the diagonal of the indentation and the test force. The characteristics of the Vickers hardness tester include:
- It has a wide measurement range and can measure materials from very soft to very hard.
- There is greater flexibility in the selection of the test force.
- The indentation is small, and the damage to the specimen surface is relatively small. It is particularly suitable for measuring the hardness of thin parts and surface layers. For example, in materials science research, Vickers hardness testers are often used to measure the hardness of various metals and alloys to evaluate their performance and quality; in the electronics industry, it can be used to measure the hardness of semiconductor materials.
