August Brinell (10 October 1849 – 17 November 1925) was a Swedish metallurgical engineer. Brinell is noted as the creator of a method for quantifying the surface hardness of materials, now known as the

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 hard ...

. His name is also commemorated in the description of a failure mechanism of material surfaces known as

Brinelling Brinelling is the permanent indentation of a hard surface. It is named after the Brinell scale of hardness, in which a small ball is pushed against a hard surface at a preset level of force, and the depth and diameter of the mark indicates the Bri ...

Biography

Brinell was born in Bringetofta, Nässjö Kommun, Sweden. He began his career as an Engineer at the Lesjöfors Ironworks and in 1882 became chief engineer at the

Fagersta Fagersta is a locality and the seat of Fagersta Municipality in Västmanland County, Sweden, with 11,130 inhabitants in 2010. Geography The city is located at the junction of two railways between Ludvika-Västerås and Avesta (Krylbo)-Örebro ...

Ironworks. In 1903 he became Chief Engineer at Jernkontoret, the Swedish Ironmasters' Association. He remained at that post until 1914. Brinell was elected a member of the

Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences () is one of the Swedish Royal Academies, royal academies of Sweden. Founded on 2 June 1739, it is an independent, non-governmental scientific organization that takes special responsibility for promoting nat ...

in 1902, and of the

Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences The Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (, IVA), founded on 24 October 1919 by King Gustaf V, is one of the royal academies in Sweden. The academy is an independent organisation, which promotes contact and exchange between business, ...

in 1919. He was awarded the

Bessemer Gold Medal The Bessemer Gold Medal is awarded annually by the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3) "for outstanding services to the steel industry, to the inventor or designer of any significant innovation in the process employed in the manufact ...

of the

Iron and Steel Institute The Iron and Steel Institute was a British association originally organized by the iron trade of the north of England. Its object was the discussion of practical and scientific questions connected with the manufacture of iron and steel. History The ...

in 1907. He died of pneumonia in 1925 in

Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...

Legacy

Brinell is best known today for the

, which he proposed in 1900. In this test a 10-millimetre diameter hardened steel or carbide ball is pushed into the surface of the material being tested, with a 3000 kg imposed load. The depth to which the ball penetrates the material surface is an indication of the ''Brinell Hardness Number'', which is calculated as follows: BHN = load in kilograms divided by the spherical area of the indentation in square millimetres (refer to

Brinell scale 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 hard ...

for method of calculation) It is a rapid, non-destructive (except at the surface being tested) means of determining the hardness of metals. This area is a function of the ball diameter and the depth of the indentation. With minor variations, his test still remains in wide use. This method is best for achieving the macro-hardness of material, particularly those materials with heterogenous structure. The high school or gymnasium in Nässjö is named after him

External links

Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brinell, Johan August Swedish metallurgists Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences Members of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences 1849 births 1925 deaths Bessemer Gold Medal People from Nässjö Municipality