Abrasive wear mechanisms and their relation to rock properties

Wear caused by abrasion is the predominant factor in mining industry. Abrasive wear is a rapid and severe process due to the contact between abrasives and solid material surfaces. This type of wear is usually classified into two categories: (i) 2-body abrasive wear and (ii) 3-body abrasive wear according to the type of contact that occurs between the abrasives and the material. The tribological system formed in mining environment embraces both abrasive wear categories. The focus of this paper is to bring in detailed focus the 2-body and 3-body wear behaviour based on correlations which point out some physical and mechanical rock properties having a significant influence. The study was based on three different rock types wearing a typical martensitic steel 42CrMo4 (DIN 1.7225) under 2-body conditions using a Cycling Impact Abrasion Test (CIAT) and 3-body conditions using a Slurry Steel Wheel Abrasion Test (SSWAT). Results showed that tested rocks perform totally different when the testing conditions are changed. Furthermore, the specific wear energy under 3-body conditions was calculated in order to gain understanding regarding energy needed to produce wear.