scope:

This International Standard specifies methods of hardness testing of sintered metal materials, excluding hardmetals. Procedure 1 determines the apparent hardness of the whole material. Procedure 1 - applies to sintered metal materials which have either not been subjected to any heat treatment, or which have been heat treated in such a way that the hardness is essentially uniform to a depth of at least 5 mm below the surface, - applies to the surfaces of sintered metal materials which have been treated in such a way that the hardness is not uniform in the section to a depth of 5 mm below the surface, - therefore applies to materials in which the hardness is obtained essentially by surface enrichment by carbon, or by carbon and nitrogen (for example, and by carburising, carbonitriding, nitrocarburising or sulphidising), and - applies to materials which have been induction hardened.