EXPERIMENT NO.

1
BRINELL HARDNESS TEST
Objectives:
To determine the deformation of metal specimen when
hardened steel specimen is pressed into it under different
normal loads.
To use the dentation to determine the properties of a metal.

Apparatus:

Brinell hardness tester

Weights
Mild steel sample
Microscope ( scale and graduated)
Steel ball (indenter)

THEORY:
Hardness is the property of a material by virtue of its ability to
resist indentation and scratching by harder bodies. It is the
resistance of a material to permanent deformation of the
surface. In other words, one can define it as the resistance of
the metal to penetration by indenter. The hardness of a surface
of the material is, of course, a direct result of inter-atomic
forces acting on the surface of the material. We must note that
hardness is not a fundamental property of a material, however,
but rather a combined effect of compressive, elastic and
plastics properties relative to mode of penetration, shape of
penetrator, etc. Hardness seems to bear a fairly constant
relationship to the tensile strength of given material and thus it
can be used as a practical non-destructive test for an
approximate idea of the value of that property and the state of
the metal near the surface.

All hardness tests are made on the surface. We may note that
in mechanical tests the bulk of material is involved.

Sometimes hardness is expressed in terms of macro hardness &

micro hardness. The macro hardness of material relates to its
resistance to larger value displacements in plastic deformation,
whereas micro hardness is the hardness of the materials in
microscopically small volumes e.g. in grain boundaries.
Hardness of material is of importance for dies and punches,
limit gauges, cutting tools, bearing surfaces etc. Softness of a
material is opposite extreme of hardness. On heating all
materials become soft.

Brinell Hardness Number:

Brinell hardness number is the hardness index, calculated by
pressing a hardened steel ball (indenter) into test specimen
under standardized hardness of metallic materials, to check
quality level of products, for uniformity of samples of metals.
The Brinell hardness number is obtained by dividing the applied
force by the spherical surface area of the indentation.

Mathematically;
BHN =

BHN =

Applied load Kg
Areaof indentation

2P
D [D D2d 2 ]

Where,
P= Applied load, D=
indentation impression

Diameter

of

steel

ball,

d=

Brinell harness tester have a scope that we calculate the

hardness number of material but it also have a demerit that it
is used to test those structure that have a rough surfaces and
hence we also separately need a microscope to check the
indentation impression and a scale to measure it. As compared
to that Rockwell is compatible easier in calculations because it

gives a hardness number on it scale we dont need separate

scale for that.

FIGURE:

Procedure:
I. 1. First we clean the specimen from grease, and all dirt.
II.
III.
IV.

Then we placed the specimen in brinell hardness tester

Then Apply the load of 3000 Kg and ball indenter we use
10 mm in diameter for a few second
Further removed the load and we get indentation
impression

V.

VI.

See this indentation impression by the help of microscope

and measure it with a scale which is engraved with a
microscope
Hence we get Hardness number of specimen

Observation and Calculation:

Sr.No

Applied
Load (P)
(Kg)

Ball Diameter
diameter( of
D)
Indent(d)
(mm)
(mm)

3000

10

3.65

Brinell
Hardnes
s
Number
(B.H.N)
280

3000

10

3.6

277

Sample Calculation:

2(3000)

B.H.N =

3.14 10[10 ( 10 )2 (3.65 )2]

3000/10.675

280 .00

So, above expression show that B.H.N is

280.00 for mild steel
Conclusion: We can calculate the mild steel hardness
number with the help of Hardness tester machine. So with the
help of that we become familiar about the brinell hardness
number of mild steel.