Continuum model of abrasive layer in an abrasive wear test

In order to find out the relationship between driving torque and thickness of abrasive layer of a three-body abrasive wear system, a continuum model of abrasive layer was proposed. The model is based on the assumption of continuum of abrasive particles and a continuous contact pressure distribution was obtained. A sand crushing test was designed to get compressive behavior of the abrasive layer. The test was used to understand the loading-unloading-reloading behavior and the constitutive relationship between compressive displacement and compressive loading. The macro-contact pressure distribution of the abrasive wear between the cylinder-cylinder and cylinder-plane was obtained based on the sand compressive behavior. With the sand compressive behavior, an FEA model has been built for ring-on-ring abrasive wear test machine to simulate the normal contact pressure distribution and friction force. To verify the model, a set of experiments was conducted. Quartz sands were used as abrasives in the analysis and test. The measurement of torque accorded well with model prediction. With this model, only a simple sand crushing test is needed to obtain the relationship between driving torque and thickness of abrasive layer which is important for wear prediction of a three-body abrasive wear system.