BRINELL HARDNESS TEST

OBJECT

To determine the Brinell Hardness number of Mild Steel and brass.

INTRODUCTION AND THEORY

Hardness is defined as the property of a material by virtue of which it resists
scratch, wear, abrasion or indentation. Brinell hardness test is of indentation type.

Each hardness test has a specific field of application. No correlation has been
developed yet between them and one hardness number cannot be converted to any
other with precision.

The results of Hardness tests cannot be utilized directly in analysis, design or

in selecting working structures. Yet this is one of the most widely employed
commercial tests on metals and the results serve the following purposes.

(i) Grading of materials.

(ii) Quality control of products.

(iii) This being a simple non-destructive test can be used to measure the tensile
strength of metal using the following empirical relation:

Tensile strength TS = (K).HB kg/m2

Where K = 0.217 for alloy steel
0.22 for plain carbon in steel.

The Brinell scale characterizes the indentation hardness of materials through

the scale of penetration of an indenter, loaded on a material test-piece. It is one of
several definitions of hardness in materials science. Proposed by Swedish engineer
Johan August Brinell in 1900, it was the first widely used and standardised hardness
test in engineering and metallurgy. The large size of indentation and possible damage
to test-piece limits its usefulness.

The typical test uses a 10 mm diameter steel ball as an indenter with a 3,000
kgf (29 kN) force. For softer materials, a smaller force is used; for harder materials, a
tungsten carbide ball is substituted for the steel ball.

The Brinell Hardness Test employs the method of indentation of a calibrated

hardened ball of specific diameter ‘D’ in to a flat specimen with a known force ‘P’
acting vertically on the ball.
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The measure of hardness or hardness number is given by the ratio of applied

force P in kgf and the surface area of the spherical impression in mm2, left after the
removal of the load.

HB = 2P
D [D-(D2-d2)½]

Where d = diameter of the impression.

The selection of load depends on the hardness of the material and diameter of
ball on the thickness of the specimen.

The recommended values of P/D2 for different hardness numbers are shown
below:

Hardness P/D2 Time of application seconds

100 and above 30 15
35 - 100 10 30
Below 35 5 180

The material undergoes plastic deformation under the pressure of ball and the
amount of deformation depends on the time of application of the load. The standard
periods are given above.

Since, after the removal of the load the elastic part of the deformation will
recover, the impression will not be truly spherical. Also the impressions made by
different loads even though P/D2 is constant will not be truly geometrically similar.

When quoting a Brinell hardness number (BHN or more commonly HB), the
conditions of the test used to obtain the number must be specified. The usual practice
is to write the hardness number as HB/5/750/15 indicating Hardness no. /diameter of
indenter/ load/ time of application of load.

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If the test specimen is too thin or the impression is too near the edge, the
impressions will bulge on the underside or the free edge as the case may be and the
result will be incorrect. Similarly the impression should not be too close to another
made already.

The following restrictions must be adhered to safeguard the possibility of the

above sources of error.

Hardness Minimum free edge distance or Minimum thickness h =

distance between impression depth of impression
edges (mm)
Above 100 D 7h
35-100 2D 10h
Below 35 5D 20h

EXPERIMENTAL SET-UP

The Brinell Hardness testing machine operates hydraulically and the load on
the ball is developed by operating the hand lever. The pressure gauge reads the
approximate pressure developed in the cylinder. The cylinder is connected to a ball
valve loaded with proportional loads. When the desired pressure corresponding to
the load required on the ball is reached, the valve lifts up and the proportional weights
remain suspended. During the test the lifted weights gradually descend, thus
compensating the leakage of oil through sides of piston and maintaining the constant
pressure throughout the period of load application.

PROCEDURE

1) Draw a neat sketch of the machine.

2) Select the proper size of ball.

3) Check whether the desired proportional weights are there in the hanger.

4) Place the specimen on the spherical bearing plate, turn the hand wheel and
raise the specimen until the contact with the steel ball is made.

5) Close the release valve and build up the pressure by operating the handle
slowly without jerk. When the required pressure is built up, as approximately
indicated by the pressure gauge, the valve should open up and the hanger
carrying the weights should lift up about 25 mm.

6) Maintain the pressure for the recommended length of time and slowly release
the pressure by opening the release valve.

7) Remove the specimen and read the diameter of the impression with a
microscope

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OBSERVATION AND COMPUTATION TABLE

Material:

Sl. Load Kg. Dia of ball Brinell Mean

No. mm. Dia of impression Hardness No. HB
HB
d1 d2 Mean d
mm mm mm.
1
2
3

Material:
Sl. Load Kg. Dia of ball Brinell Mean
No. mm. Dia of impression Hardness No. HB
HB
d1 d2 Mean d
mm mm mm.
1
2
3

RESULTS
Hardness of the material HB .............../ball diameter/load/time.

PRECAUTIONS

1) See that the test surface is clean, smooth and horizontal.

2) Operate the hand lever slowly and without jerk.

3) At the expiry of the test, the release valve should be opened slowly.

4) The restrictions regarding the edge distance and the thickness must be
adhered to.

5) Take extreme care in reading the diameter of the impression. The mean of two
readings at 90o should be taken.

QUESTIONNAIRE
1) What are the practical applications of the results available from Hardness
tests?
2) Indicate which hardness test be used for the following:-
(i) Mild Steel over 20 mm thickness.
(ii) A hacksaw blade.
(iii) A razor blade.
(iv) A Cast Iron block