The development of a model to predict the erosion of materials by natural contaminants

• Published in: Wear Vol. 15; no. 1; pp. 1 - 46
• Main Authors: Head, W.J., Harr, M.E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 1970
• ISSN: 0043-1648; 1873-2577
• DOI: 10.1016/0043-1648(70)90184-5

Statistical models for predicting the erosion of both ductile and brittle target materials were developed on the basis of laboratory erosion tests. The models developed for ductile materials were considered adequate predictors of erosion produced by natural contaminants. Insufficient data were available to assess the predictive ability of the models for brittle materials. Contaminants and target materials with varying physical properties were used in the laboratory erosion tests. The apparent impingement angles of the contaminants were controlled. In addition, the impact and rebound velocities of selected particle size components of two contaminants were measured photographically with the aid of a high-speed flash light source. It was concluded that if the mechanism by which erosion was accomplished were held constant, the primary cause of steady-state erosion was the energy transmitted from the impinging particles to the target. It was also concluded that a certain quantity of energy must be transmitted to a target (threshold energy) before erosion commences. Factors which were found to influence the energy transmitted to a target included the velocity, shape and hardness of the contaminant and the hardness and resistance of the target to erosion.