New method to determine the mechanical properties of heat treated steels

A new numerical approach to indentation problems is developed for hardened materials. A relationship between load, displacement, flow stress and strai n hardening exponent of heat treated materials with a hard film, is given. This method is based on the minimisation of the error between the experimen tal curve (load-displacement of the indenter) and the theoretical curve, fu nction of the mechanical and geometrical properties of the studied material s. Comparison of the numerical results with those experimentally obtained from known materials confirms the interest of the method proposed. (C) 2001 Els evier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.