Brinell Hardness Testing

Engineering Metals and Materials Table of Contents

Brinell Hardness Testing - In this test a standard constant load, usually 500 to 3,000 kg, is applied to a smooth flat metal surface by a hardened steel-ball type indenter, 10 mm in diameter. The 500-kg load is usually used for testing nonferrous metals such as copper and aluminum alloys, whereas the 3,000-kg load is most often used for testing harder metals such as steels and cast irons. The numerical value of Brinell Hardness (HB), is equal to the load, divided by the surface area of the resulting spherical impression.

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Brinell Hardness Test Formula and Calculator

Where P is the load, in kg; D is the diameter of the ball, in mm; and d is the diameter of the indentation, in mm.