Scaling Laws of Wear by Slurry Abrasion of Mild Steel Avishkar Rathod a , Sanjay G. Sapate b and Rajesh K. Khatirkar c Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur -440010, Maharashtra State, India a rathodavishkar@gmail.com, b sgsapate@yahoo.com, c rajesh.khatirkar@gmail.com Keywords: Abrasion; Slurry; Cutting; Indentation. Abstract. Wear by slurry abrasion is very expansive problem that must be taken into consideration while selecting the material for the transportation of slurry through pipeline. Abrasive wear generally occurs when abrasive slurries come in contact with the industrial engineering components or slurry transporting pipes. The abrasive particles carried by slurries eventually remove the material from the encountering surfaces which results in the early failure of the component in service. In present investigation an attempt is made to study the effect of load, slurry concentration, sliding distance on the abrasive wear behaviour of mild steel. The slurry abrasion experiments were carried out using slurry abrasion test apparatus with silica sand slurry. The findings of the present investigation indicate that slurry abrasion volume increased with slurry concentration, load and sliding distance, although the magnitude of increase was different in each case. The SEM observation of worn out surfaces revealed micro ploughing and micro cutting as wear mechanisms. Introduction Transportation of mineral ores in the form of slurries through pipelines is proving the best way of transportation when compared to other means of transportation. It is not only cost effective but also is eco-friendly with less maintenance requirement, gives best option than conventional way of transportation [1]. World’s first longest pipeline was constructed in Samorco, Brazil and the second longest pipeline is constructed in India. ESSAR group of industries has constructed the 267 km long pipeline to carry iron ore in slurry medium. When examining slurry pipeline as an alternative transportation mode, the pumps and pipelines which constitute the system will experience extensive wear [2], [3]. Slurry abrasion is defined as progressive loss of material from the component in which liquid media carries abrasive particles. Wear by slurry abrasion occurs in extruders, slurry pumps, and pipes carrying slurry of minerals and ores in mineral processing industries, extruders, pump impellers and coal slurry nozzles. The wear life of components used under slurry abrasion conditions is influenced by the operational parameters; properties of abrasive particles in slurry and material properties. The evaluation of slurry abrasion under actual service conditions is often difficult and complicated due to interactive effects of different parameters such as slurry concentration, velocity and properties of abrasive medium on wear rate [4]-[9]. In present investigation wear by slurry abrasion of mild steel was studied. The calibration of slurry abrasion test apparatus was carried and then experiments were carried to study the effect of different test variables such as slurry concentration, load and sliding distance. Scanning Electron Microscopy studies were carried out on worn out surfaces to study the morphology. Experimental In the present study Mild Steel is selected for the experimentation. The chemical composition of as received Mild Steel was determined by wet chemical analysis method (Table 1). Total eighteen specimens were prepared for slurry abrasion test. The specimens were rectangular blocks measuring 57.2mm (length) X 25.4mm (width) X 12.5mm (thickness). Applied Mechanics and Materials Vols. 446-447 (2014) pp 126-130 Online available since 2013/Nov/08 at www.scientific.net © (2014) Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland doi:10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.446-447.126 All rights reserved. No part of contents of this paper may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the written permission of TTP, www.ttp.net. (ID: 14.139.125.71-13/03/15,10:09:53)