A review on particulate slurry erosive wear of industrial materials: In context with pipeline transportation of mineral-slurry

Pipeline transportation of slurry is being carried out all over the world. Slurry pipeline wear is one of the major problems associated with it. The wear rate of the slurry pipeline depends upon factors such as slurry properties, slurry particle properties, flow properties, and pipeline wall properties. Any change in these properties results in change in pipeline wear rate. There is a need to study the effect of individual properties, for predicting the slurry pipeline life span and also to find the methods to minimize the wear rate. In this review paper, an attempt has been made to discuss the parameters which are believed to be the primary factors that affect material wear rate. Several mechanisms and equations suggested by various researchers for the prediction of wear of materials are also reviewed. Most of the models incorporate the effects of only few parameters involved during the wear process. These equations are specific and valid up to limited operating conditions. No general equation have been evolved which can be used under any operating condition, with better accuracy. This can be attributed to lack of data at microscopic level and also to change in the wear mechanisms under various operating conditions.