Effects of sand concentration on slurry erosion of steels

Abstract

This study examines the erosion response of two steels in a slurry of sand plus water over a range of rotational speeds and distance traversed. Erosion tests were carried out in slurries with different concentrations of sand. The study indicates the influence of material composition on the erosion resistance of the specimens depending on the experimental condition. The specimens suffered maximum erosion rate at an intermediate speed of rotation. Similarly, a higher concentration of sand in the slurry led to reduced erosion rates. Moreover distance transversed sometimes increased and sometimes decreased the erosion rate depending on the test conditions. The alternation in the response of the specimens (be it due to changing material composition, speed of rotation or owing to sand content in the slurry) has been explained in terms of the dominating erosion mechanisms under a given set of test conditions. The view has further been substantiated with the help of the features of the eroded surfaces and subsurface regions of the specimens.