Category Archives: Microhardness Testing

Mentoring Materials Science Students

posted June 2018

Last Thursday we hosted thirty high school students at MEE  as part of a week-long Materials Science Camp sponsored by the MN Chapter of ASM International.  Under the direction of  industry and academic based “Materials Mentors”, students learned about the process of running a failure analysis investigation. MEE provided a space for the students to get hands on experience with sample preparation, Rockwell hardness testing, light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy.

 

 

Three of our staff, Larry Hanke, Kurt Schenk and Neal Hanke, were  camp mentors. This was MEE’s twelfth year sponsoring the camp.

Filed under: About MEE, Failure Analysis, Materials Science Engineers, Materials testing laboratory, Microhardness Testing, microscopy, Rockwell Hardness, scanning electron microscope,

Paper Published in Journal of Failure Analysis and Prevention

posted January 2018

Journal of Failure Analysis and Prevention

Alkaline Carbonate SCC Failures at a Refinery, co-written by MEE staff engineers, Ryan Haase and Larry Hanke was recently published in the Journal of Failure Analysis and Prevention ( First Online: January 16, 2018)

A metallurgical evaluation was performed to investigate two failures from carbonate-containing sour water service at a refinery. The paper details the visual, SEM/EDS, metallographic, and microhardness evaluations used to determine the failure mechanism for each refinery component.

 

 

 

 

 

Filed under: Failure Analysis, metallography, Microhardness Testing, scanning electron microscope,

Microhardness Tester

posted March 2016

We just added a second microhardness tester to the MEE laboratory.  The Mitutoyo 200 series tester has both Vickers and Knoop capabilites and a test force range of 0.05 grams to 2000 grams. Typical applications for microhardness testing include hardness of thin coatings, case depth evaluation, and evaluation of welds.

Microindentation impressions

Microindentation impressions

Feel free to call and arrange a tour of our laboratory or to talk with one of our materials engineers. MEE staff is happy to consult with you to determine the best analytical methods applicable to your specific project.

In addition, our online handbook provides a description of the  microindentation hardness testing technique, analytical information and sample requirements.

Filed under: About MEE, Materials testing laboratory, Microhardness Testing,