By Authority Of

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Legally Binding Document

By the Authority Vested By Part 5 of the United States Code 552(a) and
Part 1 of the Code of Regulations 51 the attached document has been duly
INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE and shall be considered legally
binding upon all citizens and residents of the United States of America.
HEED THIS NOTICE: Criminal penalties may apply for noncompliance.

e
Document Name:

ASTM D785: Standard Method of Test for Rockwell

Hardness of Plastics and Electrical Insulating Materials

CFR Section(s):

16 CFR 1201.4

Standards Body:

American Society for Testing and Materials

Official Incorporator:
THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

OFFICE OF THE FEDERAL REGISTER

WASHINGTON, D.C.

~~J~

Designation: 0786 - 86 {Reapproved 19701

USA Standard K65.3-1965

USA Standards Institute

Standard Method of Test for

ROCKWELL HARDNESS OF PLASTICS AND

ELECTRICAL INSULATING MATERIALSl
This Standard is issued under th: fixed designation 0 785; the number imf!1~diately followi~g the designat~on. indica~s
the year of original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revIsion. A number In parentheses mdlcates t e
year of last reapproval.

1. Scope
1.1 This method covers two procedures for
testing the indentation hardness of plastics
and related plastic electrical insulating materials by means of the Rockwell hardness
tester.
NOTE I-The values stated in V.S. customary
units are to be regarded as the standar~. The metric equivalents of V.S. customary umts may be
approximate.

2. Significance
2.1 A Rockwell hardness number is a number derived from the net increase in depth of
impression as the load on an indenter is increased from a fixed minor load to a major
load and then returned to a minor load (Procedure A). A Rockwell alpha (0:) hardness
number represents the maximum possible remaining travel of a short-stroke machine from
the net depth of impression, as the load on
the indenter is increased from a fixed minor
load to a major load (Procedure B). Indenters are round steel bal1s of specific diameters. Rockwell hardness numbers are always
quoted with a scale symbol representing the
indenter size, load, and dial scale used. This
method is based on ASTM Methods E 18.
Test for Rockwell Hardness and Rockwell
Superficial Hardness of Metallic Materials. 2
Procedure A (Section 9) yields the indentation of the specimen remaining 15 s after a
given major load is released to a standard
to-kg minor load for 15 s. Procedure B (Section 10) yields the indentation of the indenter
into the specimen "after a 15-s application of
the major load while the load is still applied. Each Rockwell scale division represents
0.002-mm (0.OOOO8-in.) vertical movement of

the indenter.
2.2 A RockweH hardness number is directly related to the indentation hardness of
a plastic material, the higher the reading the
harder the material. An 0: hardness number
is equal to 150 minus the instrument reading.
Due to a short overlap of Rockwell hardness
scales by Procedure A, two different dial
readings on different scales may be obtained
on the same material, both of which may be
technically correct.
2.3 For certain types of materials having
creep and recovery, the time factors involved
in applications of major and minor loads have
a considerable effect on the results of the
measurements.
2.4 The results obtained by this method
are not generally considered a measure of the
abrasion or wear resistance of the plastic materials in question.
2.5 Indentation hardness is used as an indication of cure of some thermosetting materials
at room temperature. Generally, an undercured specimen has a hardness reading below
normal.
2.6 Indentation hardness may be used as a
control test for indicating the punching quality of laminated sheet stock at the processing
temperature. Test methods are given in ASTM
Method D 617, Test for Punching Quality of
Phenolic Laminated Sheets. 3

I Tbis method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D-2(} on Plastics and is the direct responsibility of
Subcommittee 0-20. \0 on Mechanical Properties.
Current edition effective Aug. 31, 1965. Originally issued 1944. Replaces D 785 - 62.
2 Annual Book ofASTM Standards, Part 31.
3 Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Part 29.

274

0786

2.7 Each Rockwell hardness scale in Table

is an extension of the preceding less severe
scale, and while there is some overlap between
adjacent scales, a correlation table is not desirable. Readings on one material may be satisfactory for such a table, but there is no guarantee that other plastic materials will give
corresponding readings because of differences
in elasticity, creep, and tear characteristics.
3. Factors Affecting Reproducibility and
Accuracy
3.1 Rockwell hardness readings have been
foundreproducibile to 2 divisons for certain
homogeneous materials with a Young's modulus in compression over 35,000 kgf/cm2 (5 X
106 psi). Softer plastics and coarse-filled plastic materials will have a wider range of variation. A large ball indenter will distribute the
load more evenly and decrease the range of
test results (Note 2). The sensitivity of the instrument decreases with an increase in the
dial reading and becomes very poor for readings of 100 and over due to the shallow indention of the steel balL It is desirable to use the
smallest ball and highest load that is practical
because of this loss of sensitivity. Rockwell
hardness readings over 115 are not satisfactory
and shall not be reported. Readings between
zero and 100 are recommended, but readings
to 115 are permissible. For comparison pur-poses, it may be desirable to take readings
higher than 115 or lower than zero on any
single scale. In such cases, Rockwell hardness
readings may be reported, but the corresponding correct reading shall follow in parentheses,
if possible. Such alternate readings are not always feasible when the specimen is subject to
constantly changing conditions or irreversible
reactions.
NOTE 2-Molded specimens containing coarse
fiber fillers, such as woven glass fabric, will influence the penetration obtained. These variations in
hardness may be reduced by testing with the largest ball indenter consistent with the overall hardness of the material.

3.2 If the bench or table on which a Rockwell hardness tester is mounted is subject to
vibration, such as is experienced in the vicinity of other machines, the tester should be
mounted on a metal plate with sponge rubber
at least 2.5 cm (1 in.) thick, or on any other
type of mounting that will effectually elimi-

275

nate vibrations from the machine. Otherwise

the indenter will indent farther into the material than when such vibrations are absent.
3.3 Dust, dirt, grease, and scale or rust
should not be allowed to accumulate on the
indenter, as this will affect the results. Steel
ball indenters that have nicks, burrs, or are
out of round shall not be used.
3.4 The condition of the test equipment is
an important factor in the accuracy of the
tests. Dust, dirt, or heavy oil act as a cushion
to the load supporting members of the test
equipment and cause erroneous readings of
the instrument dial. The shoulders of the instrument housing, indenter chuck, ball seat in
the instrument housing, capstan, capstan
screw, and anvil shoulder seat should be kept
clean and true. The capstan and screw should
be lightly oiled.
3.5 Surface conditions of the specimen have
a marked effect on the readings obtained in a
test. Generally, a molded finish will give a
higher Rockwell reading than a machined face
due to the high resin content of filled materials or better orientation and lower plasticizer
content of unfilled plastic materials. Tubular
or unsupported curved specimens are not recommended for plastic hardness testing. Such
curved surfaces have a tendency to yield with
the load and produce an unsymmetrical indentation pattern.
3.6 Many plastic materials have anisotropic
characteristics, which cause indentation hardness to vary with the direction of testing. In
such cases, the hardest face is generally that
one perpendicular to the molding pressure.
3.7 Rockwell hardness tests of the highest
accuracy are made on pieces of sufficient thickness so that the Rockwell reading is not affected by the supporting anviL A bulge,
change in color, or other marking on the under
surface of the test specimen closest to the anvil, is an indication that the specimen is not
sufficiently thick for precision testing. Stacking
of thin specimens is permitted provided they
are fiat, parallel, and free from dust or burrs.
The precision of the test is reduced for stacked
specimens, and results should not be compared to a test specimen of standard thickness.
4. Apparatus

4.1 Rockwell Hardness Tester, in accord-

0785
ance with the requirements of Section 6. A
flat anvil at least 5 crn (2 in.) in diameter shall
be used as a base plate for flat specimens.
4.2 For Rockwell hardness testing, it is necessary that the major load, when fully applied,
be completely supporteq by the specimen and
not held by other limiting elements of the
machine. To determine whether this condition
is satisfied, the major . load should be applied
to the test specimen. If an additional load is
then appJied, by means of hand pressure on
the weights, the needle should indicate an
additional indentation. If this is not indicated,
the major load is not being applied to the
specimen, and a long-stroke (PL) machine or
less severe scale should be used. For the
harder materials with a modulus around 55,000
kgf/cm 2 (8 X 106 psi) or over a stroke equivalent to 150 scale divisions, under major load
application, may be adequate; but for softer
materials the long-stroke (250 scale divisions
under major load). machine is required.
4.3 A V-block anvil or double roller anvil
shall be used if solid rods are tested.
5. Test Specimen
5.1 The standard test. specimen shall have
a minimum thickness of 0.6 cm Cf4 in.) unless
it has been verified that, for the thickness
used, the hardness values are not affected by
the supporting surface and that no imprint
shows on the under surface of the specimen
after testing. The specimen may be a .piece
cut from a molding or sheet or it may be composed of a pile-up of several pieces of the
same thickness, provided that precaution is
taken that the surfaces of the pieces are in
total contact and not held apart by sink marks,
burrs from saw cuts, orother protrusions. Care
shall be taken that the test specimen has parallel flat surfaces to ensure good seating on
the anvil and thus avoid the deflection that
may be caused by poor contact. The specimen
shall be at least 2.5 em (I in.) square if cut
from sheet stock, or at least 6 cm 2 (1 in. 2 ) in
area if cut from other shapes. The minimum
width shall be 1.2 cm eJ2 in.).
5.2 The diameter of solid rod specimens
shall be not less than three times the diameter
of the steel ball indenter. Tests parallel to the
laminations of rods cut and ground from sheet
stock are not recommended due to partial delamination of the specimen.

6. Calibration
6.1 Check the Rockwell hardness tester
periodically with a sman machinist's level
along both horizontal axes from a flat anvil for
correct positioning. Minor errors in leveling
are not critical, but correct positioning is desirable.
6.2 The adjustment of speed-ot-Ioad application is of great importance. Adjust the dashpot on the Rockwell tester so that the operating handle completes its travel in 4 to 5 s with
no specimen on the machine or no load applied by the indenter to the anvil. The major
load shall be 100 kg for this calibration. When
so adjusted, the period taken for the mechanism to come to a stop with the specimen in
place will vary from 5 to 15 s, depending upon
the particular specimen, the indenter, and the
load used. The operator should check the instrument manual for this adjustment.
6.3 Select a test block in a range using ball
type indenters (B or E, see Table 1 of Methods E 18), and' make five impressions on the
test surface of the block. Compare the average of these five tests against the hardness
calibration of the block. If the error is more
than 2 hardness numbers, bring the machine
into adjustment as described in 6.4 or in 3.3
and 3.4.
NOTE 3-Standard test blocks for the other scales
in Table 1 are' not now available. If the equipment
checks out on the E scale and K scale, it can be assumed that the basic. Rockwell hardness tester is
satisfactory. It may be assumed that other indenters
are satisfactory if they meet the conditions of Section 3 and Table 1.

6.4 Check the index lever adjustment periodically and make adjustments if necessary.
To adjust the index lever,place a specimen
(plastic with no creep or soft metal) on the anvil and turn the knurled elevating ring to bring
the specimen in contact with the indenter.
Keep turning the ring to elevate the specimen
until positive resistance to further turning is
felt, which will be after the lO-kg minor load
is encountered. When excessive power would
have to be used to raise the specimen higher,
set the dial so that the set position is at the
top and take note of the position of the pointer
on the dial. If the pointer is between B 50 and
B 70 on the red scale, no adjustment is necessary; if the pointer is between B 45 and B
50, adjustment is advisable; and if the pointer

276

0785
position is anywhere else, adjustment is imperative. As the pointer revolves several times
when the specimen is elevated, the readings
mentioned above apply to that revolution of
the pointer which occurs either as the reference mark on the gage stem disappears into
the sleeve or as the auxiliary hand on the dial
passes beyond the zero setting on the dial. The
object of this adjustment is to determine if the
elevation of the specimen to the minor load
does not cause even a partial application of
the major load. Apply the major load only
through the release mechanism.
7. Conditioning
7.1 Conditioning-Condition the test specimens at 23 2 C (73.4
3.6 F) and 50 5
percent relative humidity for not less than 40
h prior to test in accordance with Procedure
A of ASTM Methods D 618~ Conditioning
Plastics and Electrical Insulating Materials
for Testing,4 for those tests where conditioning is required. In cases of disagreement, the
tolerances shall be I C (1.8 F) and 2 percent
relative humidity.
7.2 Test Conditions-Conduct tests in the
Standard Laboratory Atmosphere of 23 2
C (73.4 3.6 F) and 50 5 percent relative
humidity, unless otherwise specified in the test
methods or in this specification. In cases of
disagreements, the tolerances shall be I C
(1.8 F) and 2 percent relative humidity.
NOTE 4-0peration this test equipment above
and below normal temperature is not recommended
due to the change in viscosity of the dashpot oil
and the close tolerance of the gage.

8. Number of Tests
8.1 At least five hardness tests shall be
made on isotropic materials. For anisotropic
materials, at least five hardness tests shall be
made along each principal axis of anisotropy,
provided the sample size permits.

9. Procedure A
9.1 Choose the correct scale for the specimen under test. Rockwell hardness values are
reported by a letter to indicate the scale used
and a number to indicate the reading. The
choice of scales shall be governed by the considerations concerned with the total indentation readings and the final scale reading for a
particular material and scale (see Table 1

and 3.1, 4.2 and 9.5). The Rockwell hardness

scale used shall be selected from those listed
in Table 1, unless otherwise noted in individual methods or specifications.
9.2 Discard the first reading after changing
a ball indenter, as the indenter does not properly seat by hand adjustment in the housing
chuck. The full pressure of the major load is
required to seat the indenter shoulder into the
chuck.
9.3 With the specimen in place on the anvil, turn the capstan screw until the small
pointer is at a zero position and the large
pointer is within 5 divisions of B 30 or the
"set" position on red scale. This adjustment
applies without shock a minor load of 10 kg,
which is built into the machine. Final adjustment of the gage to "set" is made by a knurled
ring located on some machines just below the
capstan hand wheel. If the operator should
overshoot his "set" adjustment, another trial
shall be made in a different test position of
the specimen; under no circumstances should
a reading be taken when the capstan is turned
backward. Within lOs after applying the
minor load, and immediately after the "set"
position is obtained, apply the major load by
releasing the trip lever (Note 5). Remove the
major load 15 (+ 1, -0) s after its application. Read the Rockwell hardness on the red
scale to the nearest full~scale division 15 s
after removing the major load.
NOTE 5-The application of the minor load starts
when the gage pointer starts to move; this is not the
point of final zero adjustment.

9.4 Record the readings as follows: Count

the num ber of times the need1e passes through
zero on the red scale on the application of the
major load. Subtract from this the number
of times the needle passes through zero upon
the removal of this load. If this difference is
zero, record the value as the reading plus 100.
If the difference is 1, record the reading without change, and, if the difference is 2, record
the reading as the scale reading minus 100
(Note 6). Softer plastic materials, requiring
a less severe scale than the R scale, shall be
tested by ASTM Method D 2240, Test for In~
dentation Hardness of Rubber and Plastics
by Means of a Durometer."
4

277

Anllual Book of ASTM Standards, Part 27.

0785
NOTE 6: Example-With a difference of two revolutions and a scale reading of 97, indentation hardness values should be reported as ,3 = (97 -100).

9.5 If the total indentation, reading with

the major load applied, for ;a particular scale
exceeds the limits 'Of the test machine used
(150 divisions for regular machines and 250
divisions for PL machines), use the next less
severe scale. Thus;. if. the M scale indentation
(with major load) is 290 divisions, use L Rockwell scale. Determine the total. indentation by
the num berof divisions the pointer. travels
from the zero set position during the 15 s from
the time the lever is tripped.
9.6 Do not make the tests so near the edge
of the specimen that the indenter will crush
out the edge when the major load is applied.
In no case 'shall the clearance be, less than 0.6
em C/4 in.) to the edge of the specimen.
Neither should tests be made too close to each
other, as the plastic surface is damaged from
the previous indentation. Never make duplicate tests on the opposite face of a specimen;
if a specimen is turned over and retested on
the opposite face, the ridges on the first face
will contribute to a softer reading on the second face.

10. Procedure B
10.1 Use the R scale with a 1.27-cm C/2in.) indenter and 6O-kg major load in this test.
NOTE 7 -This is the only scale approved for plastics testing by Procedure B.

10.2 Determine the "spring constant" or

correlation factor of the machine as follows:
Place a soft copper block, of. sufficient thickness and with plane parallel surfaces, on the
anvil in the normal testing .position. Raise the
sample and anvil by the'capstan screw to the
1.27-cm CI2-in.) indenter until the small
pointer is at the starting dot and the large
pointer reads zero on the black sc~le. Apply
the, major lmid by, tripping the load release
lever. The di~l gage will th<?n indicate the vertical distance; of indentation plus the spring
of the. machine frame and any other elastic
compressive deformation of the .indenter spindle and indenter. Repeat this operation several times without moving the block, but resetting the dial to zero after each test while
under minor load, until the deflection of the
dial gage becomes constant, that is, until no

278

further indentation takes place and only the

spring of the instrument remains. This value,
in terms of dial divisions, is the correction factor to be used in 10.4.
. 10.3 Following the machine adjustment described in 6.2 and 6.4, place the test specimen
in position on the anvil. With the specimen
in place, apply the minor load of 10 kg and
make the zero setting within 10 s; apply the
major load immediately after the zero setting
has been completed (Note 8). Observe and
record the total number of divisions that the
pointer of the dial gage passes through during
15 s of majQr load application. It is to be noted
that the numbers shown on the standard dial
gage are not to be' used, but the actual scale
divisions representing indentation shall be
counted. For this reason, the black scale is
recommended. A full revolution of the needle
represents 100 divisions (Note 9). The limitations of 4.2 still apply to this procedure.
NOTE 8-Materials subject to excessive creep
are not suitable for this procedure .
. NOTE 9-The total indentation equals the number of revolutions X 100 + the reading on the
black scale.

10.4 The total scale divisions that are indicated by the dial gage, as observed in 10.3,
represent the indentation produced plus the
spring constant 'correction of the test instrument. Subtract this correction factor (10.2)
from the observed reading, and record the difference as the total indentation under load.
10.5 The hardness determined by this procedure shall be known as the alpha, a, Rockwell hardness number and shall be calculated
as follows:
a Rockwell hardness number

= 150 - total indentation under load

10: Examples-With a total indentation of
30 divisions, obtained as described in 10.3 and 10.4,
the value is a 120; or if the total indentation is 210,
the value is - a 60.
NOTE

11. Calculation

11.1 Calculate the arithmetic mean for

each series of tests on the same material and
at the same set of test conditions. Report the
results as the "average value" rounded to the
equivalent of one dial division.
11.2 Calculate the standard deviation (estimated) as follows, and report it to two significant figures:

0786

where:
s
estimated standard deviation
~ value of a single observation:
X = arithmetic mean of a set of observations
and
'
n
number of observations in the set.
12. Report

12.1 The report shall include the following:

12.1.1 Material identification,
. 12.1.2 Filler identification and particle size,
If possible,
12.1.3 Total thickness of specimen,

12.1.4 The number of pieces in the specimen and the average thickness of each piece,
12.1.5 Surface conditions, for example,
molded or machined, flat or round,
12.1.6 The procedure used (Procedure A or
B),
12.1.7 The direction of testing (perpendicular or parallel to molding or anisotropy),
12.1.8 A letter indicating the Rockwell
hardness scale used,
12.1.9 An average Rockwell hardness number calculated by Procedure A or B,
12.1.10 The standard deviation, and
12.1.11 The testing conditions.

TABLE 1 Rockwell Hardness Scales

Rockwell
Hardness Minor
Scale
Load,
kg

Major
Load,
kg"

10

60'

10

60

10

100

10

100

10

150

(Red Dial

Numbers)

Indenter Diameter
in.

em

0.5000
0.0001
0.2500
0.0001
0.2500
0.0001
0.1250
0.0001
0.1250
0.0001

1.27000
0.00025
0.63500
0.00025
0.63500
0.00025
0.31750
0.00025
0.31750
0.00025

~ This major load is not the sum of the actual

weIghts at the back of the frame but is a ratio of
this load, depending on the leverage arm of the
machine. One make and model has a 25 to 1 leverage
arm.

279