Analysis of the indentation size effect on the hardness of alumina ceramics using different models

The Vickers hardness of slip-cast high purity alumina ceramics is determined as a function of the indentation load. The results show that the measured hardness depends crucially on the load, which indicates the influence of the indentation size effect (ISE). The load dependence of hardness is analyzed by using the traditional Meyer Law ; a proportional specimen resistance (PSR) model and a modified proportional specimen resistance (MPSR) model. The best correlation between measured values and used models is achieved by using a modified PSR model.