Knoop hardness test

The Knoop hardness test measures a material's hardness through a diamond-shaped indenter that creates a small, elongated indentation on the surface when a specific force is applied. The size of this indentation is then measured using a microscope. This test is particularly useful for very brittle materials or thin layers, as it causes less damage than other methods. The hardness value is calculated by comparing the indentation size to the applied force, indicating how resistant the material is to deformation. It’s commonly used in fields like materials science and engineering to assess material properties.