Brinell hardness (BH) test

Definition

Method of measuring the hardness of a material by pressing a chromium-steel or tungsten-carbide ball (commonly one centimeter or 0.4 inch in diameter) against the smooth material surface under standard test conditions (generally between 300 to 3000 kilograms of force for 5 to 30 seconds). The hardness is expressed in Brinell Hardness Number (BHN) computed by dividing the load in kilograms by the area of indentation made by the ball measured in square millimeters. American Society For Testing And Material's standard BH test is ASTM E-10. For measurements up to BHN 500, Brinell hardness is equal to 0.96 times the Vickers hardness. Named after the Swedish metallurgist Johanan Brinnell (1849-1925) who invented it in 1900.