Analysis of Ball-indentation Load-depth Data: Part I. Determining Elastic Modulus

Analysis of ball-indentation process was made by the finite element (FE) method. A series of indentation FE analyses were made on materials with different elastic modulus (E), and a simple relationship between E and the load-depth (F-h) unloading data is presented. In order to check for the influence of other material properties, thorough research has been performed, introducing a combination of response surface (RS) and FE analysis. As a result, a relationship between the indentation unloading slope, E, and the strain hardening exponent was derived. Also, the indenter compliance effect has been investigated. The indenter compliance correction was calculated and applied to the experimentally measured F-h results. Experimental testing was made on three materials with essentially different elastic moduli. Comparison of the results obtained by newly developed equations with the results from other well-known equations is also presented.