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In this work, the effects of indenter tip roundness on the load-depth indentation curves were analyzed using finite element modeling. The tip roundness level was studied based on the ratio between tip radius and maximum penetration depth (R/h max ), which varied from 0.02 to 1. The proportional curvature constant (C), the exponent of depth during loading (a), the initial unloading slope (S), the correction factor (b), the level of piling-up or sinking-in (h c /h max ), and the ratio h max /h f are shown to be strongly influenced by the ratio R/h max . The hardness (H) was found to be independent of R/h max in the range studied. The Oliver and Pharr method was successful in following the variation of h c /h max with the ratio R/h max through the variation of S with the ratio R/h max . However, this work confirmed the differences between the hardness values calculated using the Oliver-Pharr method and those obtained directly from finite element calculations; differences which derive from the error in area calculation that occurs when given combinations of indented material properties are present. The ratio of plastic work to total work (W p /W t ) was found to be independent of the ratio R/h max , which demonstrates that the methods for the calculation of mechanical properties based on the indentation energy are potentially not susceptible to errors caused by tip roundness.

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