In-house Metallurgical Laboratory
Metallurgical testing is performed on stainless steel produced by Tempered and Specialty Metals in our on-site metallurgical laboratory. Our full range of tests include Rockwell hardness, microhardness, yield, tensile, elongation and bend. These tests are performed following ASTM specifications.
Rockwell Hardness Testing – ASTM E18
The Rockwell Hardness test measures the indentation hardness of a material under a large load compared to the penetration made by a preload, or minor load. Different scales use different loads or indenters, denoted by a single letter, resulting in a dimensionless number such as HRA, HRB, HRC, etc. The last letter is the respective Rockwell scale (see chart). When testing metals, indentation hardness linearly correlates with tensile strength.
Micro Hardness Testing – ASTM E384
Our Microhardness, or microindentation, testing is a method of measuring the hardness of a material on a microscopic scale. This method uses a diamond indenter with a light load ranging from a few grams to several kilograms to make a micro-indentation onto the surface of the material. The length of the indentation is then measured microscopically and converted to a hardness value which indicates a material’s properties and expected behavior.
Tensile Testing– ASTM E8
Tensile Testing is a common mechanical strength test where controlled tension is applied to a material until it fully fails to determine the maximum tensile, or pulling, stress a material can withstand before breaking.
Elemental Composition Analysis
We can analyze the elemental composition of your material with our Optical Emission Spectroscopy, or OES. This commonly used analytical technique provides complete analysis to ASTM reporting requirements including C & N.
Bend Testing – ASTM E290
Bend testing, also known as flexure testing, measures the behavior and reaction of relatively flexible materials when simple beam loading is applied.