Slurry erosion resistance of polyethylene under conditions relevant for mineral processing

The use of polyethylene (PE) liners for protection against wear has become of interest in applications dealing with abrasive slurries, for example in the minerals processing industry. The present study aims at studying the influence of various operating conditions on the erosive wear by slurry of low-density polyethylene and high-density polyethylene samples, manufactured by either rotational molding or extrusion. In particular, this work presents for the first time a systematic study on slurry erosion at temperatures from 35 to 65 °C, since minerals processing operations may reach temperatures above ambient. The experiments were conducted in a slurry-pot equipment using quartz suspended in water as erodent. The wear of PE was also investigated as a function of impact angle. The indicator to describe wear was weight loss of PE samples after the experiment. Finally, the erosion of PE in experiments lasting up to 72 h with and without addition of fresh erodent was analyzed. It was determined that high temperatures invariably resulted in lower resistance to wear, but its influence on wear is only observed at impact angles lower than 90°. Furthermore, it was found that the manufacturing method of PE has a stronger influence on its erosive wear compared to its density.