Design of Abrasion Resistant Surfaces by Textures on Macroscopic Size

Although abrasive wear is a predominant type of wear in almost all fields of industry, it is particularly relevant to the field of mining and mineral processing. This wear mechanism is mainly influenced by the abrasive particle (e.g. hardness, size, shape, mass), the wear kinematics (impact angle, impact velocity), and also by the worn material itself (e.g. surface, structure, hardness). Today, a lot of work is done to develop systems which are resistant against wear caused by mineral abrasives. One goal for higher abrasion resistance is the use of macroscopic surface textures which hinder the abrasive particles from hitting unprotected surface areas (especially for dry, coarse abrasives) or force the formation of surface adherent mineral embedment which leads to a self-protection effect (especially for fine, wet type of abrasives). However, there is a serious lack of systematic and scientific knowledge for the design of abrasion resistant surfaces. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of macroscopic surface textures on their ability of minimizing abrasive attack, finally with the purpose to establish design rules for abrasion resistant surfaces. Profile geometry, profile distribution and surface arrangements were investigated on the wear protecting properties. It could be observed that the surface protection factor against abrasion can be adjusted by distribution and surface coverage. A strong influence of the grain size of the abrasives used on the wear behavior was observed.