Advantages and Disadvantages of Brinell Hardness Test

Advantages and Disadvantages of Brinell Hardness Test Points : advantages and disadvantages of brinell hardness test Advantages

1. Although the effect of modulus of elasticity enters into the harness figure, it is a less important factor than in the rebound test, where it causes some difficulties.
2. It does not require the care in surface preparation that rebound (or Shore) and Rockwell test do.
3. The impression made by the Brinell machine is large enough to give a fairly representative hardness, not often affected by small soft spots and small hard spots.
4. A the Brinell test, though more complex than the rebound test, is still simple.
5. Its results correlate well with tensile properties.

Disadvantages

1. The Brinell test is not entirely reliable, the hardness indicated often being less then the of the material under test when working with hard materials. Very hard materials may deform the ball and readings become unreliable at over 500 Brinell. As a result, hardness testers which employ a conical or pyramid-shaped diamond are often used in place of the Brinell tester.
2. A limitation of the Brinell test is the size of the indentation made. The standard Brinell test produces so large an impression that it is considered to be destructive test under some circumstances.
3. The test is fairly slow, because of the time required to measure the diameter and to determine the hardness.
4. The size of the piece which can be tested is limited to the opening between the anvil and penetrator.
5. Most of the test equipment is heavy, although portable instruments are available.