Britannica AI Icon

Brinell hardness test

measurement

Quick Summary

The Brinell hardness test is a method for determining the hardness of a material. It involves pressing a hardened steel or carbide ball of a known diameter into the material's surface with a specific load. The hardness is then measured by the diameter of the resulting indentation.1

The Brinell hardness number is calculated by dividing the applied load (in kilograms) by the spherical area of the indentation (in square millimeters). This test is named after Swedish engineer Johann August Brinell. Hardness testers, in general, indicate a material's hardness by measuring the effect of a standardized indenter on its surface.2341

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.