Hardness testers look for elements such as metals, and iron in your water. Other elements that it also searches for are nickle and coppers. These can be detrimental to your health if consumed in large quantities.
Amazon is one place that sells metal hardness testers online. Testers can also be purchased online from eBay, Global Industrial, Joyfay Delicate and Wayfair.
Hardness testers can be extremely expensive, however, some online companies can provide a decent price for the product. One such site that specializes in hardness testers and offers reasonable prices in www.scalesgalore.com.
Portable hardness testers measure the surface hardness of different types of metal. It allows the user to get a strength test reading without having to take a sample of the metal or to compromise the integrity of the piece in question.
Mineralogists use loupe eyepieces, refractometers, polariscopes, dichroscopes, hardness testers, streak testers, microscopes, tweezers, UV lighting, trays, brushes, cleaners, scales, calipers, and other tools of which the answerer is not aware.
Pure materials, especially minerals, are measured on a hardness scale. There are three basic tests: indentation hardness, scratch hardness and rebound hardness. See Wikipedia
A Rockwell hardness tester can be purchased from several companies, both on the high street and online. Wilson Hardness and Newage Hardness Testing are two such suppliers. You may also be able to purchase testers from more general shops such as eBay and Amazon.
Prices for older models of used hardness testers begin at about 200 dollars, while the latest models can cost over 1000 dollars. One of the best places to purchase one at a low cost is eBay.
metals
Amazon would be a good place to start, even if it would just be to check general prices so one can get a good idea of what price to pay in the future. Hardware stores such as Wilson Hardness would be a good place to make sure you acquired a good quality hardness tester.
The small amounts of different elements in a mineral can change its color, hardness, and other physical properties.
Bismuth has a Mohs hardness of around 2.5. It is a relatively soft and brittle metal compared to other elements.
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