Shorehardheidsmetingen

Shorehardheidsmetingen, or Shore hardness measurements, are a set of tests used to quantify the resistance of polymers, elastomers, and some coatings to indentation. The results provide a simple, repeatable index of a material's hardness that is widely used in quality control and material selection.

Common scales include Shore A for soft to medium elastomers, Shore D for harder plastics, and Shore 00 for very soft materials. Other scales exist for specialized substrates. The measurements are defined in standards such as ASTM D2240 and ISO 7619-1/7619-2; JIS K 6253 is used in Japan, and other regional standards may apply.

Test equipment is a durometer consisting of a defined indenter and a spring-loaded mechanism that applies a specified force. The device is placed on a flat, smooth surface, and the indenter penetrates the material. A hardness value is read from the scale after a defined dwell time. Tests should use samples of sufficient thickness to avoid substrate effects, and conditions such as temperature and humidity should be controlled. Multiple measurements are taken at different locations and averaged.

Limitations include that hardness reflects resistance to indentation rather than overall mechanical behavior; readings can be influenced by surface finish, temperature, loading rate, and material anisotropy. Proper calibration and adherence to standard procedures are essential for comparability.

Applications include quality control, material selection, specification setting, and failure analysis in plastics, rubbers, coatings, and automotive components.