The Brinell Hardness Number calculator computes the hardness factor of a material based on the Brinell Hardness Number equation using the applied load, the diameter of the indenter and the diameter of the indention.
INSTRUCTIONS: Choose units and enter the following:
- (P) Applied Force or Load (Default: 3000 kgf)
- (D) Diameter of tool pressed on material (Default: 10mm)
- (d) Diameter of indentation from the tool
Brinell Hardness Number (BHN): The calculator returns the number in units of kilogram force per square millimeters (kgf/mm2). However this can be automatically converted to compatible units via the pull-down menu.
The Math / Science
The Brinell Hardness Number characterizes the indentation hardness of materials through the scale of penetration of an indentor, loaded on a material test-piece. Its is one of several definitions of hardness in materials science. The typical test uses a 10 millimeter steel ball as an indentor with a 3,000 kgf (29.42 kN; 6,614 lbf) force. For softer materials, a smaller force is used; for harder materials, a tungsten carbide ball is substituted for the steel ball. The indentation is measured and hardness calculated using the Brinell Hardness Number formula:
`BHN=(2P)/(piD(D-sqrt(D^2-d^2)))`
where:
- BHN = Brinell Hardness Number
- P = applied load
- D = diameter of indentor
- d = diameter of indentation
References
A helpful Brinell Hardness Number equation tutorial can be found on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/liiopCScMck
The formula and definition are from WIkipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brinell_scale).