BRINELL

HARDNESS
TEST
Group 1
 Introduction
The hardness of a material is its ability to resist
localized permanent deformation,
penetration, scratching, or indentation. So, it is
an important parameter in engineering.

Hardness Testing provides a means to

quantify the hardness of a material and it is a
key element in many quality control procedures
and research & development work.

Several methods are available for hardness

testing such as Brinell, Rockwell, Vickers,
Scleroscope, and the files test are the most
widely used hardness tests.
Short History
The first widely accepted and standardized
indentation-hardness test was proposed by Johan
August Brinell in 1900. Brinell’s interest in materials
science grew during his involvement in several Swedish
iron companies and his desire to have a consistent and
fast means of determining material hardness. The
Brinell test became established as the first universally
accurate method of testing the hardness of materials.

J. A. Brinell standardized the measurement of metal by

pressing a steel ball into the surface of a specimen. He
used a known load quantity to deform the material with
an indentation and from this he acquired data from
which hardness could be calculated.

Johan August Brinell

What is the Brinell
Hardness Test?
In the Brinell Hardness Testing, the
hardness of a metal is determined by
measuring the permanent indentation
size produced by an indenter.

Harder materials - shallow

indentations
Softer materials - deeper
indentations.
 Brinell Hardness Test
Procedure
The Brinell Hardness test is performed in a Brinell hardness test unit.
In this test method, a predetermined force (F) is applied to a tungsten
carbide ball of fixed diameter (D), held for a predetermined time
period, and then removed.
The spherical indenter creates an impression (permanent
deformation) on the test metal piece.
This indentation is measured across two or more diameters and then
averaged to get the indentation diameter (d).
Using this indentation size (d) Brinell Hardness Number (BHN) is found
using a chart or calculated using the Brinell hardness test formula.
insert vid
Brinell Hardness
Testing Machine
The Brinell Hardness Testing Machine consists of a
loading system that includes:
leavers,
weights,
a hydraulic dashpot,
a plunger enclosed in the body of the machine.

The test material is kept on the adjustable anvil. Using the

lever, the spherical ball indenter descends on the
material with a pre-decided force that can be read on the
screen.
Brinell Hardness For softer metals, the force used is less
than for harder metals. The force value

Testing Machine
varies from 1 kgf to 3000 kgf.

Common test forces range from:

500 kgf - for non-ferrous materials to
3000 kgf - for steels and cast irons.

There are four sizes of the indenter used:

1 mm, 2.5 mm, 5 mm, and 10 mm in
size.

The minimum Test Specimen thickness:

ASTM standard - at least 10 times the
indentation depth
ISO standard - at least 8 times the
indentation depth
Most Common Brinell
Hardness Test Methods
 Brinell Hardness Test Formula
Once the average indentation diameter is measured the Brinell Hardness Number (BHN
or HBW) can be calculated using the following Brinell hardness test formula:
Brinell Hardness Test Formula
Note that, the term HBW stands for Hardness Brinell Wolfram carbide.
Wolfram carbide (= tungsten carbide) underlines the use of tungsten carbide balls,
as opposed to the (softer) steel balls previously used (HBS).
Brinell Hardness Test Formula
 Advantages
The flat irregular metal surface does not affect the Brinell hardness test. Brinell
hardness test can be performed on irregular or rough metal surfaces. The care of
the surface is not important in this test as in the Rockwell and rebound test.
This hardness test is simple to perform and is less sensitive than any other test.
The hardness of objects with heavy weight can be tested with this process.
Tensile properties and results of the test can correlate.
You can see the indentation impression on the sample made by the test with the
help of a microscope.
The impression is fairly big enough to measure hardness and is not affected by
any small hard or soft marks.
 Disadvantages
The test cannot be performed in objects of small size due to a large indenter
impression.
It is also not appropriate for thin items as the test cause deep penetration
The Brinell hardness test is slow thus time-consuming. A lot of time is required to
perform the test due to the slow test process
Chances of human error during measurements. The test required a lot of
concentration because the chances of error in measurements are high as it is done
manually.
You can get inaccurate measurements sometimes while testing hard items because
the ball indentor deforms.
This test can only perform on the flat surfaces.
The lifespan of an object can be less due to the large impression and high load.
Uses of Brinell Hardness Test
Quality control
The Brinell hardness test is commonly used in
manufacturing and quality control to ensure that
materials meet specific hardness requirements.

Material selection
The Brinell hardness test can be used to compare the
hardness of different materials and to select the most
appropriate material for a specific application.
Heat treatment evaluation
The Brinell hardness test can be used to evaluate the
effectiveness of heat treatment processes on metals.

Research and development

The Brinell hardness test is also used in research and
development to investigate the properties of new
materials and to develop new materials with specific
hardness properties.

Failure analysis
The Brinell hardness test can be used in failure analysis
to determine the cause of material failures.
 References

https://whatispiping.com/brinell-hardness-test/
https://www.enggstudy.com/brinell-hardness-test/?
fbclid=IwAR1iDaPiVaoaZiDFMgqoT31Lh9ohXV6MJda7P3B3cWbSaXehm4odClV7CPw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJXJpeH78iU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXV6ZimFzws
https://foundrax.co.uk/hardness-testing-the-history/
https://www.buehler.com/blog/history-of-hardness-
testing/#:~:text=The%20first%20widely%20accepted%20and,means%20of%20determi
ning%20material%20hardness.
https://www.struers.com/en/Knowledge/Hardness-testing/Brinell?
fbclid=IwAR1R6zXy-p3vMdJ6UVev2gbK9-Ho-zajH69ROCnO55kOQ_er5c8H4Ux-tNI
https://www.hardnessgauge.com/advantages-disadvantages-of-brinell-method/
Thank You
For Your Attention

Angeles, John Denver

Bariñan, Maja
Bocalan, Micah Ysabelle
Dabu, Phiarose
Diño, Andrea Denisse
Ferrer, Gaila Kate
Leona, Carlos Daniell
Quillosa, Rizalyn
Ramos, Joyce Ann
Santiago, Alwyn Leonard

BSEE 4