The erosion behaviors of aluminum and mild steel at different impact angles and velocities have been studied using a micro-sandblaster. The wear rates for different parameters and as well as surface characteristics have been the subject of this research. A mathematical model has been used for analyzing the experimental wear rates together with the dominant wear mechanisms present on the surface. The model has been developed based on the particle kinetic energy and the energy required removing a unit amount of material from the surface. These energy factors were determined from the experimental results based on the understanding of the cutting and deformation mechanisms of ductile materials. Optical microscopes as well as scanning electron microscope (SEM) have been used to study the surface characteristics and wear mechanism. The characteristics of the eroded surface and the wear mechanisms have been discussed in detail to relate the rate of wear on the surface. It was found that erosion at an incident angle of 30o and a velocity of 60 m/s is dominated by the cutting mechanism while at 30 m/s at the same impact angle, the wear rate is dominated by the deformation mechanism. The present work emphasizes the effect of erodent variables on the erosion performance of ductile materials. The steady state mass loss curve has been plotted in order to study the variation of wear rate as a function of impact angle. Wear rates for different angles of impact and particle impact velocities have been plotted for a better understanding on the wear behavior of ductile materials for two different erodent particles. A technique for determining energy required to remove a unit mass of material is presented in this study. The behavior of the unit energy with respect to the impact velocity and impact angle in an erosion process is also discussed. It appears that the absorbed energy increases with increasing particle size demonstrated by the increased wear rates. It is suggested that the absorbed energy increases with increasing particle size due to its inertial stress. It was also demonstrated that the angular particle, ilmenite, can transfer more energy to the surface due to its shape(higher angularity). Finally the energy factors determined in the experimental program have been applied into a predictive model for determining service life of a pneumatic conveying pipeline. The difference between the predicted and measured data also been discussed.
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University of Newcastle Research Higher Degree Thesis
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