Brinell hardness test

The Brinell hardness test (pronounced /brəˈnɛl/) measures the indentation hardness of materials. It determines hardness through the scale of penetration of an indenter, loaded on a material test-piece. It is one of several definitions of hardness in materials science. The hardness scale is expressed in terms of a Brinell hardness value, sometimes referred to as the Brinell hardness number but formally expressed as HBW (Hardness Brinell Wolfram – Wolfram being an alternative name for the tungsten carbide ball indenter used during the test).

The test was named after Johan August Brinell (1849-1925) who developed the method at the end of the 19th century.