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TA B L E O F C ON TE N TS
Objective ......................................................................................................................................... 3
Need To Know About ...................................................................................................................... 2
Introduction..................................................................................................................................... 2
What Is Hardness?........................................................................................................................... 2
Material Science .............................................................................................................................. 3
Scratch Hardness ............................................................................................................................. 3
Indentation Hardness ...................................................................................................................... 3
Rebound Hardness .......................................................................................................................... 3
How To Measure Hardness? ........................................................................................................... 4
Hardness Measurement Method .................................................................................................... 4
Brinell Hardness Test....................................................................................................................... 4
Standards......................................................................................................................................... 5
Brinell Test Method......................................................................................................................... 5
Application ...................................................................................................................................... 7
Strength ........................................................................................................................................... 7
Weaknesses ..................................................................................................................................... 7
Limitations ....................................................................................................................................... 7
Errors in Hardness Testing .............................................................................................................. 8
References ....................................................................................................................................... 8
Testing of Materials
Brinell Hardness Test
OB JE CT IV E
NE E D T O KN OW A B O UT
(1) To understand what hardness is, and how it can be used to indicate some properties of
materials
(2) To conduct typical engineering hardness tests and be able to recognize commonly used
hardness scales and numbers
(3) To be able to understand the correlation between hardness numbers and the properties of
materials
(4) To learn the advantages and limitations of the common hardness test methods
Experimental Condition:
Temperature: 25oC
Load (P) =3000kg
Indenter Diameter (D) = 10mm
IN TR O DU CT I ON
It is a common practice to test most materials before they are accepted for processing, and
before they are put into service to determine whether or not they meet the specifications required. One
of these tests is hardness. The Rockwell, Brinell and durometer machines are those most commonly
used for this purpose.
W HA T IS HA R D N ES S ?
The Metals Handbook defines hardness as "Resistance of metal to plastic deformation, usually by
indentation. However, the term may also refer to stiffness or temper or to resistance to scratching,
MA T E RIA L S C I EN CE
S CRA T C H HA R DN ES S
IN D EN TA T I O N HA R DN ES S
Indentation hardness tests are primarily used in engineering and metallurgy fields. The tests
work on the basic premise of measuring the critical dimensions of an indentation left by a specifically
dimensioned and loaded indenter.
RE B OU N D HA R DN ES S
Also known as dynamic hardness, rebound hardness measures the height of the "bounce" of a
diamond-tipped hammer dropped from a fixed height onto a material. The device used to take this
measurement is known as a scleroscope.
H OW T O M EA S U R E HA R DN ES S ?
1 Talc 1
2 Gypsum 3
3 Calcite 9
7 Quartz 100
10 Diamond 1600
HA RD N ES S M EA S UR E M EN T M ET H O D
There are three types of tests used with accuracy by the metals industry; they are the Rockwell
hardness test, the Brinell hardness test, and the Vickers hardness test. The way the three of these
hardness tests measure a metal's hardness is to determine the metal's resistance to the penetration of a
non-deformable ball or cone. The tests determine the depth or area which such a ball or cone will sink
into the metal, under a given load, within a specific period of time.
The followings are the most common hardness test methods used in today`s technology:
1. Rockwell hardness test
2. Brinell hardness
3. Vickers
4. Knoop hardness
5. Shore
BR IN E L L HA R DN ES S T ES T
Brinell testing is typically done on iron and steel castings using a 3000Kg test force and a 10mm
diameter carbide ball. Aluminum and other softer alloys are frequently tested using a 500Kg test force
and a 10 or 5mm carbide ball. Therefore the typical range of Brinell testing is 500 to 3000kg with 5 or
10mm carbide balls.
S TA N DA R DS
ISO 6506
Materials Hardness
Glass 1550 HB
BR IN E L L T ES T M E T H OD
All Brinell tests use a carbide ball indenter. The test procedure is as follows:
The indenter of Diameter (D) 10mm is pressed into the sample by an accurately
controlled test force.
The force of 3000kg is maintained for a specific dwell time, normally 15 - 30 seconds.
After the dwell time is complete, the indenter is removed leaving a round indent in
the sample.
The size of the indent is determined optically by measuring two diagonals of the
round indent using either a portable microscope or one that is integrated with the load
application device.
Where:
P = applied force (kgf)
D = diameter of indenter (mm)
d = diameter of indentation (mm)
The diameter of the impression is the average of two readings at right angles and the use of a
Brinell hardness number table can simplify the determination of the Brinell hardness. A well structured
Brinell hardness number reveals the test
conditions, and looks like this, "75 HBW
10/3000/30" which means that a Brinell
Hardness of 75 was obtained using a 10mm
diameter hardened steel with a 3000 kilogram
load applied for a period of 30 seconds and
the W indicates that a carbide ball was used.
On tests of extremely hard metals a tungsten
carbide ball is substituted for the steel ball.
The Brinell number, which normally
ranges from HB 50 to HB 750 for metals, will
increase as the sample gets harder. Tables are
available to make the calculation simple. A
typical Brinell hardness is specified as follows:
356HBW
Where 356 is the calculated hardness
and the W indicates that a carbide ball was
used. Note- Previous standards allowed a steel ball and had an S designation. Steel balls are no longer
allowed.
1 3.25 117
2 3.20 121
3 3.20 121
Average 119.7
A PP L ICA TI O N
Because of the wide test force and Indenter diameter range the Brinell test can be used on
almost any metallic material.
S TR E N GT H
One scale covers the entire hardness range, although comparable results can only be obtained if
the ball size and test force relationship is the same.
A wide range of test forces and ball sizes to suit every application.
Nondestructive, sample can normally be reused.
Compared to the other hardness test methods, the Brinell ball makes the deepest and widest
indentation, so the test averages the hardness over a wider amount of material, which will more
accurately account for multiple grain structures and any irregularities in the uniformity of the
material.
W EA KN ES S ES
The main drawback of the Brinell test is the need to optically measure the indent size. This
requires that the test point be finished well enough to make an accurate measurement.
Slow testing can take 30 seconds, not counting the sample preparation time.
LI M ITA TI O NS
However, because of the large ball diameter the test cannot be used to determine the hardness
variations in a welded joint for which the Vickers test is preferred.
Very hard metals, over 450BHN may also cause the ball to deform resulting in an inaccurate
reading. To overcome this limitation a tungsten carbide ball is used instead of the hardened steel
ball but there is also a hardness limit of 600BHN with this indenter.
The oxide layer should be remove from the sample by using sand paper or grinders otherwise it
ER R ORS NI HA RD N ES S T ES TI N G
There are many factors that can affect the accuracy of the hardness test. Some of these such as
flatness and surface finish have already been mentioned above but it is worth re-emphasizing the
point that flatness is most important - a maximum angle of approximately ± 1° would be
regarded as acceptable.
To achieve the required flatness tolerance and surface finish surface grinding or machining may
be necessary. The correct load must be applied and to achieve this there must be no friction in
the loading system otherwise the impression will be smaller than expected - regular maintenance
and calibration of the machine is therefore essential. The Brinell ball will deform over a period of
time and inaccurate readings will result. This deterioration will be accelerated if a large
proportion of the work is on hard materials. The length of time that the load is applied is
important and must be controlled.
The specimen dimensions are important - if the test piece is too thin the hardness of the
specimen table will affect the result. As a rule of thumb the specimen thickness should be ten
times the depth of the impression for the Brinell test and twice that of the Vickers diagonal.
Similarly, if the impression is too close to the specimen edge then low hardness values will be
recorded - again as a rule the impression should be some 4 to 5 times the impression diameter
from any free edge.
The specimen table should be rigidly supported and must be in good condition - burrs or raised
edges beneath the sample will give low readings. Impact loading must be avoided. It is very easy
to force the indenter into the specimen surface when raising the table into position. This can
strain the equipment and damage the indenter. Operator training is crucial and regular validation
or calibration is essential if hardness rest results are to be accurate and reproducible
RE F ER E NC ES
1. ^ ASTM E10 - 08 Standa rd Test Method for Bri nell Ha rdness of Metallic Ma terials
2. ^ ISO 6506-1:2005 Metallic ma terials - Bri nell ha rdness tes t - Pa rt 1: Tes t method
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohs_scale_of_mineral_hardness
4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brinell_hardness_test
5. http://www.scribd.com/doc/18004150/Hardness-Report?autodown=pdf
6. “Technical Metallurgy” by Cliffe (page 150 – 154)
7. “Material, Their Nature, Fabrication and Properties” by Sergal (page 143 – 145, 71 –72)
8. “Metallurgy for Engineers” by Rollesan (page 15)