Abrasion of mild steel in wet and dry conditions with the rubber and steelwheel abrasion apparatus

Abrasion behaviour with a rotating wheel-type apparatus has been examined w ith angular alumina and rounded silica abrasives as a function of test cond itions, namely wheel-type (rubber wheel or steel wheel) and environment (dr y or wet conditions). Water tends to lubricate the contact between the part icles and the testpiece, especially with small and/or rounded particles and thus the wear rate is reduced. With larger particles, the presence of wate r still affects wear, in that two-body abrasion may be favoured, cutting en hanced and particle embedment reduced. The steel wheel tends to produce mor e fragmentation of abrasives, but in the wet environment, this is reduced a s the lubricated contact with the testpiece results in lower stresses in th e particles. The role of water has been shown to be significant in both the rubber and s teel wheel tests and affects particle motion and particle fragmentation (de pending on particle type, shape and size) and, thus, has a strong effect on wear rates and mechanisms observed. The conditions employed in a test used to simulate service conditions must be carefully chosen so as to mimic the latter conditions as closely as possible and the environment (wet or dry) is a significant parameter that must be considered. (C) 2000 Elsevier Scien ce S.A. All rights reserved.