Determination of Elastic Modulus Using Spherical Ball Indentation, Brinell Test Results

Document Type : Research Article

Author

Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kermanshah University of Technology, Kermanshah, Iran

Abstract

The stress–strain behavior of materials is traditionally characterized using uniaxial tensile or compression tests. However, these conventional methods are often impractical when dealing with small material volumes or when localized mechanical property evaluation is required. As a non-destructive, simple, and widely applicable alternative, the spherical indentation hardness test presents a promising approach for estimating mechanical properties such as the elastic modulus. In this study, a methodology based on the Brinell hardness testing principle is introduced to estimate the elastic modulus of materials. The obtained results are validated against data derived from standard uniaxial tensile tests. The findings reveal that the estimated elastic modulus values are significantly influenced by the applied indentation load, with optimal accuracy achieved at a specific load level. Deviations from this optimal load, whether higher or lower, result in diminished estimation accuracy, primarily due to variations in material pile-up or sink-in phenomena surrounding the indentation zone. These effects alter the penetration depth measurement and, consequently, the calculated mechanical properties. The proposed method demonstrated an estimation error of less than 5% for the elastic modulus. Moreover, the optimal indentation load is found to be material-dependent and should be determined prior to application. Overall, the results confirm that this method provides a reliable, non-destructive means of estimating the elastic modulus, particularly in situations where material availability is constrained or localized evaluation is required under in-service conditions.

Keywords

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References

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Amirkabir Journal of Mechanical Engineering
Volume 57, Issue 3
June 2025
Pages 267-282

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