EVALUATION METHOD OF STRENGTHENING DEGREE OF SURFACE LAYER OF SOLID MATERIALS Russian patent published in 2013 - IPC G01N3/42 

FIELD: measurement equipment.

SUBSTANCE: slide preparation in indenter introduction zone, introduction of indenter into the tested specimen and determination of the indent depth is performed. Slide is prepared on the end face of the tested specimen; slide surface is perpendicular to the tested surface of the specimen. Indenter is used as a knife having a blade with the section in the form of an oblique triangle, which is introduced to the tested specimen normally to its tested surface to depth h₀, which exceeds the depth of strengthened layer h_yn, thus creating plastic deformation zone during introduction of indenter on both sides of its indent. When the indenter is being introduced, a line formed with its blade is oriented perpendicular to the slide surface, and the following is determined on the slide: point O of maximum depth h₀ of the indenter's indent, which is left with the indenter's blade, point B of boundary of zones of deformed and non-deformed material on surface of tested specimen and point A of the edge of the indenter's indent on the surface of the tested specimen. Boundary of zones of deformed and non-deformed material is determined, and then, angle of common deformation zone β_common=∟AOB is determined. On the slide, in boundary deflection place of zones of deformed and non-deformed material, point B₁ of transition is determined from deformed zone of base material to deformed zone of strengthened surface; point O and B₁ of the straight line is connected and deformation angle of base material β_base=∟AOB₁ is determined and the strengthening degree of surface layer ε_β is determined as per the ratio of β_common and β_base angles using the following formula: ε_β=β_common/β_base.

EFFECT: providing prompt and reliable determination of characteristics of strengthening the surface layer of investigated materials.

12 cl, 3 dwg