Improvement in the design of a pot tester to simulate erosion wear due to solid–liquid mixture

A pot tester is normally used to study the relative erosion behavior of different materials at moderate solid concentrations. Uniform distribution of solids and turbulence inside the pot are generally the problems with the pot tester and thus the data generated have limited application for quantitative analysis. In the present work, investigations have been carried out in a transparent cylindrical pot to determine the minimum speed of a propeller required for uniform distribution of solid particles and the observations are used to develop a slurry pot tester. It is observed that a 45° pitched four bladed propeller in down-pumping mode gives a better distribution of solids. A pot tester is then fabricated by inserting the propeller from the bottom of the cylinder and is rotated at the speed required for uniform distribution. The test specimens are then mounted at a different shaft inserted from the top of the pot and is rotated at desired test speeds. The results were obtained for ductile material and are found in good agreement with the literature.