Common Hardness Comparison Table | Most Complete Collection

HV, HB, and HRC are all measurements of hardness used in materials testing. Let’s break them down:

1)HV Hardness (Vickers Hardness): HV hardness is a measure of a material’s resistance to indentation. It is determined by applying a known load to the surface of the material using a diamond indenter and measuring the size of the resulting indentation. HV hardness is expressed in units of Vickers hardness (HV) and is commonly used for thin materials, coatings, and small parts.

2)HB Hardness (Brinell Hardness): HB hardness is another measure of a material’s resistance to indentation. It involves applying a known load to the material using a hardened steel ball indenter and measuring the diameter of the resulting indentation. HB hardness is expressed in units of Brinell hardness (HB) and is often used for larger and bulkier materials, including metals and alloys.

3)HRC Hardness (Rockwell Hardness): HRC hardness is a measure of a material’s resistance to indentation or penetration. It uses different scales (A, B, C, etc.) based on the specific testing method and the type of indenter used (diamond cone or hardened steel ball). The HRC scale is commonly used for measuring the hardness of metallic materials. The hardness value is represented as a number on the HRC scale, such as HRC 50.

Commonly used HV-HB-HRC hardness comparison table:

Common ferrous metal hardness comparison table (approximate strength conversion)
Hardness classification				Tensile strength N/mm²
Rockwell		Vickers	Brinell
HRC	HRA	HV	HB
17	—	211	211	710
17.5	—	214	214	715
18	—	216	216	725
18.5	—	218	218	730
19	—	221	220	735
19.5	—	223	222	745
20	—	226	225	750
20.5	—	229	227	760
21	—	231	229	765
21.5	—	234	232	775
22	—	237	234	785
22.5	—	240	237	790
23	—	243	240	800
23.5	—	246	242	810
24	—	249	245	820
24.5	—	252	248	830
25	—	255	251	835
25.5	—	258	254	850
26	—	261	257	860
26.5	—	264	260	870
27	—	268	263	880
27.5	—	271	266	890
28	—	274	269	900
28.5	—	278	273	910
29	—	281	276	920
29.5	—	285	280	935
30	—	289	283	950
30.5	—	292	287	960
31	—	296	291	970
31.5	—	300	294	980
32	—	304	298	995
32.5	—	308	302	1010
33	—	312	306	1020
33.5	—	316	310	1035
34	—	320	314	1050
34.5	—	324	318	1065
35	—	329	323	1080
35.5	—	333	327	1095
36	—	338	332	1110
36.5	—	342	336	1125
37	—	347	341	1140
37.5	—	352	345	1160
38	—	357	350	1175
38.5	—	362	355	1190
39	70	367	360	1210
39.5	70.3	372	365	1225
40	70.8	382	375	1260
40.5	70.5	377	370	1245
41	71.1	388	380	1280
41.5	71.3	393	385	1300
42	71.6	399	391	1320
42.5	71.8	405	396	1340
43	72.1	411	401	1360
43.5	72.4	417	407	1385
44	72.6	423	413	1405
44.5	72.9	429	418	1430
45	73.2	436	424	1450
45.5	73.4	443	430	1475
46	73.7	449	436	1500
46.5	73.9	456	442	1525
47	74.2	463	449	1550
47.5	74.5	470	455	1575
48	74.7	478	461	1605
48.5	75	485	468	1630
49	75.3	493	474	1660
49.5	75.5	501	481	1690
50	75.8	509	488	1720
50.5	76.1	517	494	1750
51	76.3	525	501	1780
51.5	76.6	534	—	1815
52	76.9	543	—	1850
52.5	77.1	551	—	1885
53	77.4	561	—	1920
53.5	77.7	570	—	1955
54	77.9	579	—	1995
54.5	78.2	589	—	2035
55	78.5	599	—	2075
55.5	78.7	609	—	2115
56	79	620	—	2160
56.5	79.3	631	—	2205
57	79.5	642	—	2250
57.5	79.8	653	—	2295
58	80.1	664	—	2345
58.5	80.3	676	—	2395
59	80.6	688	—	2450
59.5	80.9	700	—	2500
60	81.2	713	—	2555
60.5	81.4	726	—	—
61	81.7	739	—	—
61.5	82	752	—	—
62	82.2	766	—	—
62.5	82.5	780	—	—
63	82.8	795	—	—
63.5	83.1	810	—	—
64	83.3	825	—	—
64.5	83.6	840	—	—
65	83.9	856	—	—
65.5	84.1	872	—	—
66	84.4	889	—	—
66.5	84.7	906	—	—
67	85	923	—	—
67.5	85.2	941	—	—
68	85.5	959	—	—
68.5	85.8	978	—	—
69	86.1	997	—	—
69.5	86.3	1017	—	—
70	86.6	1037	—	—

HRC/HB Approximate Conversion Tips

The hardness is higher than 20HRC, 1HRC≈10HB,
The hardness is lower than 20HRC, 1HRC≈11.5HB.
Remarks: For cutting processing, it can basically be converted uniformly 1HRC≈10HB (the hardness of the workpiece material has a fluctuation range)

Hardness of metal material

Hardness refers to the ability of a material to resist local deformation, especially plastic deformation, indentation or scratching. It is an index to measure the softness and hardness of the material.

According to different test methods, hardness is divided into three types.
①Scratch hardness. It is mainly used to compare the softness and hardness of different minerals. The method is to choose a rod with one end hard and the other end soft, pass the material to be tested along the rod, and determine the hardness of the material to be tested according to the position of the scratch. Qualitatively speaking, hard objects make long scratches and soft objects make short scratches.

②Indentation hardness. Mainly used for metal materials, the method is to use a certain load to press the specified indenter into the material to be tested, and compare the softness and hardness of the material to be tested by the size of the local plastic deformation on the surface of the material. Due to the difference of indenter, load and load duration, there are many kinds of indentation hardness, mainly including Brinell hardness, Rockwell hardness, Vickers hardness and microhardness.

③ Rebound hardness. Mainly used for metal materials, the method is to make a special small hammer fall freely from a certain height to impact the sample of the material to be tested, and use the amount of strain energy stored (and then released) in the sample during the impact (through the return of the small hammer) jump height measurement) to determine the hardness of the material.

The most common Brinell hardness, Rockwell hardness and Vickers hardness of metal materials belong to the indentation hardness. The hardness value indicates the ability of the material surface to resist the plastic deformation caused by another object being pressed in; C) to measure the hardness, and the hardness value represents the size of the elastic deformation function of the metal.

Brinell Hardness

Use a quenched steel ball or hard alloy ball with a diameter of D as the indenter, press it into the surface of the test piece with the corresponding test force F, and after a specified holding time, remove the test force to obtain an indentation with a diameter of d. Divide the test force by the surface area of the indentation, and the resulting value is the Brinell hardness value, and the symbol is represented by HBS or HBW.

The difference between HBS and HBW is the difference in the indenter. HBS means that the indenter is a hardened steel ball, which is used to measure materials with a Brinell hardness value below 450, such as mild steel, gray cast iron and non-ferrous metals. HBW means that the indenter is cemented carbide, which is used to measure materials with a Brinell hardness value below 650.

For the same test block, when the other test conditions are exactly the same, the results of the two tests are different, and the HBW value is often greater than the HBS value, and there is no quantitative rule to follow.

After 2003, my country has equivalently adopted international standards, canceled steel ball indenters, and all used carbide ball heads. Therefore, HBS is discontinued, and HBW is used to represent the Brinell hardness symbol. In many cases, the Brinell hardness is only expressed in HB, referring to HBW. However, HBS is still seen from time to time in literature papers.

The Brinell hardness measurement method is suitable for cast iron, non-ferrous alloys, various annealed and quenched and tempered steels, and is not suitable for testing samples or cnc turning parts that are too hard, too small, too thin, or that do not allow large indentations on the surface.

Rockwell Hardness

Use a diamond cone with a cone angle of 120° or Ø1.588mm and Ø3.176mm quenched steel balls as the indenter and the load to cooperate with it. The initial load is 10kgf and the total load is 60, 100 or 150kgf (that is, the initial load plus the main load). The hardness is expressed by the difference between the indentation depth when the main load is removed and the indentation depth when the main load is retained and the indentation depth under the initial load after the total load is applied.

The Rockwell hardness test uses three test forces and three indenters. There are 9 combinations of them, corresponding to the 9 scales of Rockwell hardness. The application of these 9 rulers covers almost all commonly used metal materials. There are three commonly used HRA, HRB and HRC, among which HRC is the most widely used.

Commonly used Rockwell hardness test specification table：

Hardness symbol	Head type	Total test force F/N（kgf）	Hardness scope	Application examples
HRA	120° diamond cone	588.4(60)	20~88	Carbide, carbide, Shallow case hardened steel etc.
HRB	Ø1.588mm Quenched steel ball	980.7(100)	20~100	Annealed, normalized steel, aluminum alloy Gold, copper alloy, cast iron
HRC	120° diamond cone	1471(150)	20~70	hardened steel, quenched and tempered steel, deep layer case hardened steel

The range of use of the HRC scale is 20~70HRC. When the hardness value is less than 20HRC, because the conical aluminum cnc machining part of the indenter is pressed too much, the sensitivity decreases, and the HRB scale should be used instead; when the hardness of the sample is greater than 67HRC, the pressure on the tip of the indenter is too large, and the diamond is easily damaged. The life of the indenter will be greatly shortened, so the HRA scale should generally be used instead.

The Rockwell hardness test is simple, rapid, and small indentation, and can test the surface of finished products and hard and thin workpieces. Due to the small indentation, for materials with uneven structure and hardness, the hardness value fluctuates greatly, and the accuracy is not as high as Brinell hardness. Rockwell hardness is used to determine the hardness of steel, non-ferrous metals, hard alloys, etc.

Vickers Hardness Vickers Hardness
The principle of Vickers hardness measurement is similar to that of Brinell hardness. Use a diamond square pyramid indenter with an included angle of 136° to press into the surface of the material with a specified test force F, and remove the test force after maintaining the specified time. The hardness is expressed by the average pressure on the unit surface area of the square pyramid indentation. Value, the mark symbol is HV.

The Vickers hardness measurement range is large, and it can measure materials with a hardness ranging from 10 to 1000HV. The indentation is small, and it is generally used to measure thinner materials and surface hardened layers such as carburizing and nitriding.

Leeb Hardness Leeb Hardness
Use an impact body with a certain mass of tungsten carbide ball head to impact the surface of the test piece under the action of a certain force, and then rebound. Due to the different hardness of materials, the rebound speed after impact is also different. A permanent magnet is installed on the impact device. When the impact body moves up and down, its peripheral coil will induce an electromagnetic signal proportional to the speed, and then convert it into a Leeb hardness value through an electronic circuit. The symbol is marked as HL.

The Leeb hardness tester does not need a worktable, and its hardness sensor is as small as a pen, which can be directly operated by hand, and can be easily detected whether it is a large, heavy workpiece or a workpiece with complex geometric dimensions.

Another advantage of Leeb hardness is that it has very little damage to the surface of the product, and sometimes it can be used as a non-destructive test; it is unique in hardness tests in all directions, narrow spaces and special aluminum parts.

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