Sand slurry abrasion

The sand-slurry test is a method for determining the abrasion resistance of soft and medium-hard materials to liquids saturated with small particles. It examines how much a material is worn away by an abrasive liquid consisting of coarse sand and water.

In the test setup of the sand-slurry test, the material to be tested and a comparison piece of high-strength steel are rotated for many hours at high speed in a mixture of water and sand. This simulates the wear that the material could experience in real applications.

After the test is completed, the two specimens are compared with each other. The steel comparison piece serves as a reference and is given the value 100. The material sample to be tested is rated accordingly, receiving either a lower or higher rating compared with the steel, depending on how much it was worn away in the test. This makes it possible to determine the relative abrasion resistance of different materials and to assess their suitability for specific applications.