A new method for measurement of particle abrasivity

A modified micro-scale abrasive wear test has been used to study the abrasivity of a range of silica and calcium carbonate abrasives in aqueous slurries, against polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) samples. The method involves the rotation of a cylindrical disc against the specimen surface in the presence of small abrasive particles, and generates a wear scar with an imposed geometry. It allows a wider range of particle sizes to be used than the more conventional ball–cratering method. For the abrasives used in these tests, differences in abrasivity by a factor of at least 16 were found. The main factor which influenced abrasivity was particle shape.