Page 12 The Northeast ONG Marketplace

By: Melanie Boop, Communication Specialist, Aerial Energy Resources, LLC

Telebrineller Hardness testing is used to evaluate the strength or hardness of a certain material for quality assurance and material identification purposes. Advantages of Telebrineller Hardness Testing include portability, minimal errors due to steel crystal structure, accuracy, no safety or environmental hazards,

and cost effectiveness. It is commonly used for research purposes, determining load bearing capabilities, assessing weld quality, and verifying structural integrity. For the oil and gas industry, Telebrineller Hardness Testing can provide information that is crucial to safe and consistent operations. This nondestructive testing procedure allows for the acquisition of data that can be interpreted and used to determine tensile strength and assess fire damage.

Testing ProcedureIt is important to have a basic understanding of how Telebrineller Hardness Testing is performed in order to comprehend its applications.

Before beginning the test, the surface of the object being tested must be cleaned and prepared. Then, a reference or test bar is selected. The Telebrineller test will simultaneously place an indent in the reference bar and test object, so the test bar is used as a known reference. For the most accurate calculations, the reference bar should have a hardness within 15 percent of the hardness of the test object. An advantage of the Telebrineller Hardness Test is if the hardness of the test bar is not within 15 percent of the hardness of the test object, the results will not be affected dramatically. This makes it a great test to use on objects in which the material makeup is unknown. To make the impressions, the Telebrineller instrument is placed on the test object, and the anvil is hit with a heavy hammer. This will cause an indentation in the reference bar and test object. The next step is to measure the diameter of the indentations with the Telebrineller microscope. These measurements and the known hardness of the test bar are used to calculate the hardness of the test object.

Hardness Testing to Determine Tensile StrengthThe hardness of a material is used to determine the amount of pressure that material can support. The components used to construct pipelines and compressor stations are usually exposed to a large amount of pressure. It is important for oil and gas engineers to ensure the components used to construct pipelines and compressor stations are composed of proper materials in order to prevent failure. A component failing due to improper material selection will be damaging, costly, and hazardous to workers.

There is a linear correlation between material hardness and tensile strength. Tensile strength is the amount of stress a material can withstand before failing. Yield strength and ultimate strength are types of tensile strengths. Yield strength is the amount of stress a material can withstand without causing permanent deformation. Ultimate strength is the maximum amount of stress a material can withstand before breaking. Using Telebrineller Hardness Testing to find a material’s hardness provides information needed to estimate the material’s tensile strength. The chart, Brinell Hardness and Tensile Strength of Materials, is an example of how hardness correlates with strength for various materials (1).

For the oil and gas industry, quality assurance of components in order to prevent failure is necessary. A nondestructive testing technician is able to calculate a material’s tensile strength based off of the hardness found during testing, and from this data they can determine if the component will withstand the pressure experienced during operations.

Hardness Testing to Assess Fire DamageDamage to pressure vessels, pipelines, and compressor stations caused by fire can be evaluated with Telebrineller Hardness Testing. It is important to test the hardness of all components affected by fire because the heat from the fire can alter the makeup of the material, making it softer or deformed. If one were to use a component affected by fire, the component may not be able to handle the pressure placed on it and fail. A failed component causes further damage, can be costly, and poses a safety threat to oil and gas workers. This can all be avoided through nondestructive testing for quality assurance using Telebrineller Hardness Testing.When a component is affected by fire, the heat is not evenly distributed. Therefore, the affected component will experience uneven heating and cooling. Some areas of the component may retain its hardness while other areas soften and deform. Even if the component visually seems unaffected by fire, the makeup of the material may still have been affected by the heat and altered.

APPLICATIONS OF TELEBRINELLER HARDNESS TESTING IN THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY

INDUSTRYINSIGHT

Korri Avenengo, Senior Field Service Engineer, performs Telebrineller Hardness Testing on a part in the AER lab. This portable testing kit is commonly used in field environments because it is lightweight and weather resistant.

Telebrineller Hardness Testing is often used to test objects in which the material makeup is unknown because the reference bar does not need to be within 15 percent of the hardness of the test object in order to receive accurate calculations.

Material Brinell Hardness Tensile Strength 1000 PSI

Brass 192-202 95-99Nickel, Pure 187-202 93-99

Struct. Steel, A-36 159 80Cast Iron, Chilled 401 196

Carbon Steel 174-223 87-110Zinc, Alloy 112-126 58-64

Brinell Hardness and Tensile Strength of Materials

October 2015 Page 13

When the makeup of a material is affected by fire, its hardness is also affected. To determine if the material’s makeup has been altered, a simple comparison needs to be made. Nondestructive testing technicians find what the hardness of the material used to construct the component should be. Then, they assess the current hardness of the component affected by fire using Telebrineller Hardness Testing. Lastly, they compare the current hardness to what the hardness of the material should be and interpret the data to determine if the component is fit for its intended use.

ConclusionTelebrineller Hardness Testing provides data that is necessary for the safe and uninterrupted operation of pipelines, compressor stations, and pressure vessels in the oil and gas industry. Data provided by Telebrineller Hardness Testing is interpreted by nondestructive testing technicians to determine tensile strength and assess fire damage which is important in preventing component failure.

1. Mississippi Welders Supply Co. “TENSILE STRENGTH TO HARDNESS CONVERSION CHART.” Mississippi Welders Supply Co. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Aug. 2015.

Aerial Energy Resources, LLC (AER) is a nondestructive testing and R&D laboratory with a strong focus on advanced applications. AER is headquartered in Smithton, PA and provides services throughout the contiguous United States. AER has more information and videos about Telebrineller Hardness Testing at www.aertesting.com/postings and on YouTube. Please email services@aertesting.com with any questions.

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