Hardness is needed primarily because it allows materials to resist permanent deformation and significantly improves their resistance to wear from friction and erosion.
Understanding Material Hardness
Hardness is a fundamental property of a material that enables it to resist permanent distortion, penetration, indentation, and scratching. This inherent resistance makes hardness a crucial characteristic when selecting materials for various applications.
The Primary Engineering Need for Hardness
From an engineering viewpoint, the importance of hardness lies in its direct impact on a material's durability and longevity in demanding environments. As highlighted in material science, resistance to wear by either friction or erosion from steam, oil, and water generally increases with hardness.
This means that materials with higher hardness levels are better equipped to withstand:
- Wear by Friction: The gradual removal of material due to rubbing or contact with another surface.
- Wear by Erosion: The progressive loss of material from a solid surface due to mechanical interaction with a fluid (like steam, oil, or water) containing solid particles or droplets.
Therefore, the need for hardness stems from the requirement for materials to maintain their shape and structural integrity when subjected to mechanical stresses and erosive fluids, ensuring longer service life and reliable performance in various industrial and everyday applications.
