The indentation of hard metals: the role of residual stresses

Abstract

Experimental evidence to support Johnson's [6] analysis of the residual surface stress distribution produced in a flat surface by a spherical indenter is presented. The theory suggests that high residual stresses develop just outside the contact area as a result of the superposition of elastic unloading stresses onto the stresses at maximum load when the specimen has deformed plastically. The experiments involved the use of a semi-brittle steel, sufficiently hardened so that, while tensile stresses in the surface produced cracks, the substrate deformed plastically under the triaxial stress system beneath the indenter. Radial cracks produced by the indenter frequently extended after load removal, implying the presence of the high tensile circumferential residual stresses predicted by the theory. This work and recent studies of indentation loading of glasses show that there are important situations where residual stresses can contribute to their failure and wear.