Piping Systems > Specification > Abrasion Resistance
Abrasions are produced when tough particles hit or are rubbed against the wall of a pipe. The resulting loss of pipe material causes harsh, stiff edges that can affect flow rates and potentially cause pipe leaks or even failure.
The superior abrasion resistance of Corzan® piping systems is a function of the attention we pay to:
- Properties of piping materials
- Design of the piping system
While all piping systems exhibit some degree of wear over time, erosion depends on the specific combination of factors. Excluding the piping material itself, the system conditions that minimize abrasion are:
- Lower velocities (<5 ft./s.)
- Large, round particles
- Uniform particle distribution
- Minimum changes in direction
When these ideal slurry conditions do not exist, the selection of piping material is especially important.
Testing Abrasion Resistance
Corzan piping systems will usually outperform metal when transporting abrasive media and have been used successfully in many abrasive industrial applications.
No single test method exists to consistently predict the abrasion resistance of a material to the broad range of potentially abrasive conditions. As a result, the best guide in selecting materials for abrasive service is past experience.
In lieu of such case histories, attention should be directed towards approaching the ideal system conditions mentioned above, particularly minimizing changes in direction.
At the same time, changes in direction can be designed to minimize abrasion potential. Large radius elbows and capped tee bends are usually specified to reduce particle impingement on the pipe wall.
Taber Abrasion Test
One widely referenced test method for abrasion resistance is the Taber Abrasion Test. Weight loss of a material is measured after being exposed to an abrasive wheel for 1000 cycles.
While the Taber test cannot predict actual performance of a material to a given application, it does provide a relative measure to compare different materials.
