EROSION BY SOLID-PARTICLE IMPACTS - A TESTING UPDATE

A workshop on erosion by solid particles focused attention on the status of applicable testing technologies. ASTM Standard G 76-83, in which erodent particles are entrained in gas jets, was reviewed, and procedural variations based on it were described and discussed. Among the factors considered were cratering, particle fluxes, particle feeding, and the characteristics of nozzles, specimen surfaces, and erodent particles. Many effects of the foregoing factors are not yet fully understood. Jet-type erosion tests such as ASTM G 76 cannot simulate all practical circumstances in which erosion by solid particles occurs. Therefore the development of additional standardized testing procedures is needed. Two alternatives, slinger-type testing and wind-tunnel testing, with potential for further development were described.