Abrasive wear with particular reference to digger teeth
Abrasive wear occurs when a contact associated with stress between a metal surface and a herd particle (frequently of mineral origin) leads to friction between the two. In a very wide range of industrial applications, abrasive wear is the main reason for component and equipment repair or replacement. In most of these applications, especially those of earth moving, construction and mining equipment, digger teeth are used to improve equipment performance. Digger teeth can be produced in different shapes and sizes (mainly by casting) and a wide range of materials are used. This project is concerned with both a field trial of the wear of digger teeth fixed to the front of a bucket used in a gravel pit, and also a laboratory investigation of abrasive wear mechanisms. It was found that the wear of digger teeth increased with increasing working hours, but the wear rate eventually decreased. The dimensions and shape of the front of the tooth changed and gravel removal became more inefficient. Plastic deformation and phase transformation were observed in the worn surfaces of the teeth. In the laboratory study, many parameters were investigated utilising a pin-on disc technique. Wear rate increases linearly with load and decreases with sliding distance. The effect of attack angle on abrasive wear showed that wear volume increases with increasing attack angle up to a certain value (90°) and then decreases. Corrosion increases the initial wear rate, and the amount of material removed in the wet corrosive test was higher than the corresponding dry test. It was difficult to reproduce the same results from the field trial in the laboratory because of the difference in the conditions in the two cases. Optical and scanning electron microscopy were used to study the worn surfaces, abrasive papers and wear debris. Different abrasive wear mechanisms were observed throughout this investigation. A cutting mechanism associated with spiral debris was observed during short pin-on disc tests and with higher attack angles. A ploughing action associated with plate-like debris was observed during longer tests and at lower attack angles. Fragmentation was observed in brittle materials.
Abrasive wear mechanisms, Industrial equipment, Digger teeth, Metal surfaces
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