Title: Theoretical analysis of the relationships between hardness, elastic modulus, and the work of indentation for work-hardening materials
Abstract: In our previous paper, the expanding cavity model (ECM) and Lamé solution were used to obtain an analytical expression for the scale ratio between hardness ( H ) to reduced modulus ( E r ) and unloading work ( W u ) to total work ( W t ) of indentation for elastic-perfectly plastic materials. In this paper, the more general work-hardening (linear and power-law) materials are studied. Our previous conclusions that this ratio depends mainly on the conical angle of indenter, holds not only for elastic perfectly-plastic materials, but also for work-hardening materials. These results were also verified by numerical simulations.