Wear Mechanisms on Martensitic Steels Generated by Different Rock Types in Two-Body Conditions

The main purpose of this work is to identify and describe complex wear mechanisms that usually occur in the mining environment. Abrasive conditions can differ a lot, especially in the mining industry. Therefore, the need to study the influence of abrasion conditions on the material wear is crucial in order to improve the lifetime and the cost efficiency of the machinery used in such environments. To study various abrasion mechanisms, a cyclic impact abrasion test was used to simulate two-body impact/abrasion. The tests were performed using two martensitic steels, and three different standard rock types of the mining environment were chosen as abrasives, respectively. The wear was indicated as mass loss by measuring the samples before and after the tests. On the other hand, the particle breakage index, which indicates the potential of a rock to wear, was observed by sieving the abrasives before and after the test. The wear results were correlated with different mechanical rock properties. Wear mechanisms were observed using microscopic investigations. The results indicate that different abrasive rock types have a significant influence on the wear rate of the tested martensitic steels. It was observed that by combining different rocks as abrasives, a simulation of the real field was achieved.