The Mohs scale of mineral hardness (/moʊz/) is a qualitative ordinal scale, from 1 to 10, characterizing scratch resistance of minerals through the ability of harder material to scratch softer material.
The scale was introduced in 1812 by the German geologist and mineralogist Friedrich Mohs, in his book "Versuch einer Elementar-Methode zur naturhistorischen Bestimmung und Erkennung der Fossilien";[1][2] it is one of several definitions of hardness in materials science, some of which are more quantitative.[3]
The Mohs scale of mineral hardness is based on the ability of one natural sample of mineral to scratch another mineral visibly. The samples of matter used by Mohs are all different minerals. Minerals are chemically pure solids found in nature. Rocks are made up of one or more minerals. As the hardest known naturally occurring substance when the scale was designed, diamonds are at the top of the scale. The hardness of a material is measured against the scale by finding the hardest material that the given material can scratch, or the softest material that can scratch the given material. For example, if some material is scratched by apatite but not by fluorite, its hardness on the Mohs scale would be between 4 and 5.[8]
"Scratching" a material for the purposes of the Mohs scale means creating non-elastic dislocations visible to the naked eye. Frequently, materials that are lower on the Mohs scale can create microscopic, non-elastic dislocations on materials that have a higher Mohs number. While these microscopic dislocations are permanent and sometimes detrimental to the harder material's structural integrity, they are not considered "scratches" for the determination of a Mohs scale number.[9]
The Mohs scale is an ordinal scale. For example, corundum (9) is twice as hard as topaz (8), but diamond (10) is four times as hard as corundum. The table below shows the comparison with the absolute hardness measured by a sclerometer, with pictorial examples.[10][11]
Below is a table of more materials by Mohs scale. Some of them have a hardness between two of the Mohs scale reference minerals. Some solid substances which are not minerals have been assigned a hardness on the Mohs scale. However, if the substance is actually a mixture of other substances, hardness can be difficult to determine or may be misleading or meaningless. For example, some sources have assigned a Mohs hardness of 6 or 7 to granite but it is a rock made of several minerals, each with its own Mohs hardness (e.g. topaz-rich granite contains: topaz - hardness 8, quartz - hardness 7, orthoclase feldspar - hardness 6, plagioclase feldspar - hardness 6 to 6.5, mica - hardness 2 to 4).
Despite its lack of precision, the Mohs scale is relevant for field geologists, who use the scale to roughly identify minerals using scratch kits. The Mohs scale hardness of minerals can be commonly found in reference sheets.
The scale is used by electronic manufacturers for testing the resilience of flat panel display components (such as cover glass for LCDs or encapsulation for OLEDs), as well as to evaluate the hardness of touch screens in consumer electronics.[21]
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Fruit rind plays a pivotal role in alleviating water loss and disease and particularly in cracking resistance as well as the transportability, storability and shelf-life quality of the fruit. High susceptibility to cracking due to low rind hardness is largely responsible for severe annual yield losses of fresh fruits such as watermelon in the field and during the postharvest process. However, the candidate gene controlling the rind hardness phenotype remains unclear to date. Herein, we report, for the first time, an ethylene-responsive transcription factor 4 (ClERF4) associated with variation in rind hardness via a combinatory genetic map with bulk segregant analysis (BSA). Strikingly, our fine-mapping approach revealed an InDel of 11 bp and a neighbouring SNP in the ClERF4 gene on chromosome 10, conferring cracking resistance in F2 populations with variable rind hardness. Furthermore, the concomitant kompetitive/competitive allele-specific PCR (KASP) genotyping data sets of 104 germplasm accessions strongly supported candidate ClERF4 as a causative gene associated with fruit rind hardness variability. In conclusion, our results provide new insight into the underlying mechanism controlling rind hardness, a desirable trait in fresh fruit. Moreover, the findings will further enable the molecular improvement of fruit cracking resistance in watermelon via precisely targeting the causative gene relevant to rind hardness, ClERF4.
The Janka wood hardness rating scale is determined by the Janka hardness test. The Janka hardness test measures the resistance of a sample of wood to denting and wear. It measures the force required to embed an 11.28 millimeters (0.444 in) diameter steel ball halfway into a sample of wood. This method leaves a hemispherical indentation with an area of 100 mm2. (Wikipedia, n.d.)
With the Janka wood hardness scale in mind, the higher the number, the more resistant the wood is to denting and wear. For reference, when comparing two types of wood like Hickory and Chestnut, Hickory has a Janka wood hardness rating of 1820 while Chestnut has a rating of 540, therefore, from this scenario, we can conclude that Hickory is the more resistant wood. The Janka rating is also a good indication of how hard the wood will be to saw or nail.
The hardness of a wood is rated on an industry wide standard known as the Janka test. The Janka test measures the force required to embed a .444 inch steel ball into the wood by half its diameter. This test is one of the best measures of the ability of a wood specie to withstand denting and wear. It is also a good indicator of how hard a specie is to saw, mill and nail.
We have all the information you need to review your wood and find out which wood is best for you. As you explore our wood options for your home, feel free to refer back to this chart to see where your wood choice ranks on the hardness scale.
Hardness, as applied to most materials, and in particular metals, is a valuable, revealing, and commonly employed mechanical test that has been in use in various forms for more than 250 years. As a material property, its value and importance cannot be understated; the information from a hardness test can be used to provide critical material performance information and insight to the durability, strength, flexibility, and capabilities of a variety of component types from raw materials to prepared specimens, and finished goods. Hardness testing is widely used in a multitude of industries and plays particular significance in structural, aerospace, automotive, quality control, failure analysis, and many other forms of manufacturing.
The most basic and commonly used definition is the resistance of a material to permanent, plastic deformation. It is measured by loading an indenter of specified geometry and properties onto the material for a specified length of time, and measuring either the depth of penetration or dimensions of the resulting indentation or impression. Rockwell testing is the most commonly used method by virtue of the quick results generated and is typically used on metals and alloys. It generates a value based on indentation depth or un-recovered indentation.
Following sound practice and complying with applicable standards is relatively straightforward and will greatly contribute to true and accurate results. Foremost to any Rockwell test process is identification of the proper hardness scale to be used on the component to be tested. There are 30 different Rockwell scales with the majority of applications covered by the Rockwell HRC and HRB scales for testing most steels, brass, and other metals. With the increasing use of materials other than common steel and brass, as well as requirements to test thin materials and sheet steel, a basic knowledge of the factors that must be considered in choosing the correct scale to ensure an accurate Rockwell test in necessary. The choice is not only between the regular hardness test and superficial hardness test, with three different major loads for each, but also between the diamond indenter and the 1/16, 1/8, 1/4 and 1/2 in. diameter steel ball indenters. Often an engineering specification is established at the material design phase and the operator can rely on documented scale requirements. If no specification exists or there is doubt about the suitability of a predetermined scale, an analysis should be made of the following factors that control scale selection:
In the absence of a specified hardness scale the material type should be identified and compared with various tables that list the typical type of scale that is applicable to a given material. Usually this is based on historical data and empirical testing information. As a rule of thumb, using the heaviest load that the material can withstand is advisable as the larger indent will provide the greatest integrity and be minimally affected by material surface condition. Typically, diamond scale indenters are used on hardened steels and other very hard materials while the ball scales are more applicable to the brass, copper alloy, aluminum type of materials. While material composition knowledge is a necessary tool in scale selection, there are several other extremely significant material parameters that come into play in determining the proper test meth and technique to be followed.
Of primary importance in scale selection is the material thickness. Since the 30 Rockwell scales are distinguished by total test force, as well as the indenter type, a load or force that is excessive for the material thickness will be ultimately influence by the support anvil. Interruption in material flow such as this can will result in erroneous readings and significant misinterpretation of the actual material hardness. ASTM provides scale thickness requirements both in tabular as well as graphical form. It is recommended that these are used as a reference guide in deciding suitable scale based on material thickness. A general, albeit approximate only, rule is that the material should be a minimum of 10 times the depth of the indentation when using a diamond type indenter and at least 15 times the depth when using a ball type indenter. If necessary the actual depth of any indentation can be calculated to confirm this requirement is being met, but this is generally not necessary as the reference tables and graphs provide adequate information to make an educated decision. As a final rule, no deformation of the material should be evident on the supporting (underside) surface of the material.
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