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Conversion

Metal Hardness Converter (Vickers ↔ Brinell ↔ Rockwell C ↔ Tensile Strength)

Converting between **metal hardness scales** is a daily task in mechanical engineering, heat treatment, QA inspection and materials science. The three dominant test methods cover different use cases: (a) **Vickers (HV)** — square diamond indenter, works on almost any metal and any hardness range, the lab reference standard; (b) **Brinell (HB)** — large hardened-steel ball indenter, suits coarse-grained castings and annealed steels but the ball deforms above HB ≈ 500; (c) **Rockwell C (HRC)** — diamond cone + 150 kgf major load, fast and ideal for production-line QA on hard steels (only valid for HV ≳ 240). This tool follows **ASTM E140-12b (Reapproved 2019)** for non-austenitic carbon and alloy steels, interpolating linearly between adjacent table rows to convert across all three scales and also reporting the **approximate ultimate tensile strength UTS (MPa)** — essential for steel-grade selection, quench-and-temper acceptance and HAZ assessment in welds. **Caveat**: HV/HB/HRC equivalence is only valid for a specific material family; non-ferrous metals (aluminium, copper, brass) and austenitic stainless steels have their own ASTM E140 tables and the present widget does not cover them.

Vickers HV

Brinell HB

Rockwell C

Approx. tensile strength

Table follows ASTM E140-12b (Reapproved 2019) for non-austenitic carbon and alloy steels. HV ↔ HB is not strictly defined above HV ≈ 500 (the Brinell ball deforms); HRC is only valid for HV ≳ 240. Tensile-strength estimates are referenced to quench-and-temper steel and carry ±10 %; cold-worked or surface-hardened parts can deviate more. Aluminium, copper, brass and austenitic stainless steels have their own ASTM E140 tables and are NOT supported here.

Formula

The tool uses the discrete ASTM E140 Table 1 plus linear interpolation: HV ↔ HB ↔ HRC ↔ UTS (MPa) A few representative rows from the table: HV HB HRC UTS 940 — 68 3110 720 — 61 2410 544 500 52 1790 446 421 45 1470 354 336 36 1160 272 258 26 900 213 203 — 700 150 143 — 490 Method: (1) Map the input to an "equivalent HV" — if the input is HB or HRC, interpolate against that column; (2) Then interpolate against the master HV table to read off HB, HRC and UTS. UTS is approximated per SAE J417 / ASTM E140; for steels UTS_MPa ≈ 3.0 × HV up to HV ≈ 400, and the tabulated curve above that.

Frequently asked

My spec calls for HRC 40–45 but I can only measure HV — what do I report?

**Direct answer**: HRC 40–45 corresponds to HV 392–446 per ASTM E140. Drop your HV reading into the tool in "HV" mode — the converted HRC tells you whether it sits in the 40–45 band. **Practical pointers around specifications**: (1) **Agree the method up front**: a purchase spec should name the *primary* hardness test (e.g. "HRC 40–45 per ASTM E18") and the *permitted conversion* (e.g. "conversion per ASTM E140 Table 1"). Disputes happen when this is left vague. (2) **Arbitration default**: if a customer or regulator disagrees, Vickers HV is treated as the reference under ASTM E140 because it is the most stable scale across material grades and hardness ranges. (3) **Reporting format**: write "Measured HV 420 → equivalent HRC ≈ 43 per ASTM E140-12b" — always declare the conversion source rather than passing off a converted value as a raw measurement. (4) **Regulated / certified work**: ASME pressure-vessel and many aerospace specs *do not* accept converted values; you must measure with the named method (send the part out if you do not have the equipment).

Why is HB not reported above HV ≈ 500?

**Because the Brinell ball indenter physically fails.** Brinell standards (ASTM E10, ISO 6506) use a 10 mm hardened-steel ball (limit ≈ HB 750) or a tungsten-carbide ball (limit ≈ HB 650). As the test material approaches HB 500 (≈ HV 540, HRC 52): (a) **the ball itself starts to deform plastically**, so the indent diameter is no longer accurate; (b) **elastic recovery dominates**, and the indent edge becomes hard to read; (c) **repeatability falls** — different operators on the same piece can disagree by 5 %+. **ASTM E140 Table 1 simply stops at HB 500** and reports nothing above. For very hard steels (quenched tool steel, bearing steel) you must use (a) HV (diamond indenter, no limit); (b) HRC (diamond cone); or (c) Knoop (elongated diamond, for thin layers). **Also note**: (1) above HB 500 you must use the tungsten-carbide ball (HBW) — the proper notation is "200 HBW 10/3000" (ball / load); (2) older literature using a steel ball is already off by HB ≈ 450; (3) for high-hardness work always start with HV and convert through ASTM E140.

Why does UTS_MPa ≈ 3.0 × HV break down on quench-and-temper high-strength steels?

**Because hardness and UTS measure two different facets of plastic resistance.** HV measures *indentation resistance* of a small region — the local plastic flow stress, set largely by dislocation density. UTS is the *maximum macroscopic stress before fracture* in a tensile test, set by the interplay of plastic flow, strain hardening, void nucleation and crack growth. **In annealed / normalised low-carbon steels** (HV 100–300, ferrite + pearlite microstructure) plastic flow dominates, and the empirical 3 × HV relation is steady within ±5 %. **In quench-and-temper HSS** (HV 400–600, tempered martensite + fine carbides) two physical effects shift the relation: (a) **lower strain-hardening capacity** — dislocation density is already saturated, so further work-hardening is small; (b) **earlier fracture** — toughness is lower, the tensile test fractures before plastic flow exhausts, so UTS / HV slides from 3.0 to about 2.7–2.9. **For untempered ultra-high-strength steels (HV > 600)** the ratio can drop to about 2.5 because fracture toughness is very low. **Practical guidance**: (1) annealed / low-carbon steels: UTS ≈ 3.0 × HV is fine; (2) Q&T HSS: apply 3.0 × HV then a ×0.92 correction; (3) tool steel, bearing steel: do not estimate — run a tensile test plus impact and K_IC.

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