Comparison of a simulated ‘in-service’ rig test with a standardised laboratory abrasion test

Over the past few decades many laboratory wear tests have been developed to simulate a range of wear conditions, from two- and three-body abrasion to sliding friction and solid particle impingement. However, their relevance and usefulness are often questioned in regard to the extent to which they simulate real industrial tribological systems. This is especially true for the evaluation of coatings and surface treatments that are intended to reduce wear and improve the lifetimes of industrial components. This paper presents a comparison of the wear data generated from a ‘simulated’ rig test, which replicates the tribological system of proprietary slurry transfer device, with those from a wet rubber wheel abrasion test. An AISI 316L austenitic stainless steel was selected as the wearing surface to enable rapid generation of wear by known material removal mechanisms under abrasive conditions. Weight loss measurements, profilometry and scanning electron microscopy were used to compare and contrast the wear scars and mechanisms generated from each test system. The results demonstrate that the laboratory test has some validity within certain operating parts of the industrial system, but for a meaningful indication of likely wear life, full ‘in-service’ test conditions are needed, due to the complexity of real tribological systems.