Abrasive Wear Trends of Non-Conforming Contact Surfaces

Abstract

Abrasive wear is found to decrease the efficiency of any equipment where three body wear takes place. The abrasive wear is found to increase the down time of the equipment, decrease the efficiency of operation, and in extreme condition total failure of the equipment. The abrasive wear is found to depend on operating parameter like hardness of contacting surfaces, abrasive grain size etc. The abrasive wear was found to increase with decrease in hardness and increase with abrasive grain size until grain size reaches a critical value. Once grain size reaches the critical value abrasive wear was found insensitive to the grain size. Different test in laboratory have been designed to simulate the abrasive wear. The one which is very popular is a dry abrasion test rig TR-53. It was found that wear rate increases with increase in rubber hardness of the wheel. The rubber hardness was also found to be dependent on temperature. In the present work a wear model abrasive test is done on cast iron, EN 31 and ceramics. Samples were accompanied at loads of 53.22N and 102.46N. The wear model predicted ploughing mode of wear and was found that the wear characterized in terms of volume loss increased with decrease in hardness. Scanning electron microscope study was carried out on wear scar to identify the wear mechanism which reveal basically cutting and ploughing mode type of wear.