Technical Note 2.116 Re: Abrasion Resistance of Piping Systems Date: November 1, 1994 By: J. B.

Goddard

The rate of erosion or abrasive wear in piping is proportional to the velocity and quantity of flow, and size and shape of particles in the abrasive slurry. Abrasion resistance of a given material is a function of both flow rates and characteristics of debris expected in the installation. Typical flow rates in highway applications vary from a few feet per second for underdrains up to a maximum of about 20 feet per second for culverts. In general, most experience with plastic pipe involves relatively low flow rates. Sewer pipe is one such application, and here, the flow is normally slow (a few feet per second) and the effluent slurry is not usually abrasive. In the case of the corrugated polyethylene tubing used for agriculture drainage, flow rates are very slow, although the deposits of silt transported can be very abrasive. There is a substantial and growing experience record in the mining industry, where PVC and PE pipe are used to handle water slurries containing highly abrasive tailings. The Saskatchewan Research Council (1) has performed erosion studies which compare abrasion performance of several types of plastic pipe with steel and aluminum pipe. The test set-up consisted of a closed loop of test pipe, with a sand slurry continuously circulated by a pump. Silica sand gradation: Both coarse, D50 = 0.58mm, (30 mesh, 3mm) and fine D50 = 0.31 mm (48 mesh, 0.8mm), 40% by weight in a water slurry. Velocities: Either 7 or 15 ft/s (2.1 to 4.6 m/s). The wear rates were measured in terms of loss of thickness and are given in Table 1. The Saskatchewan study indicates plastics used for pipe considered in the study are comparable or better than metals in resistance to abrasion by sand slurries. The study is based on sand slurries circulating at reasonably high velocities. In situations where larger aggregate are transported, abrasions or scour would be expected to be more severe for both metal and plastic pipe. In Germany (2), using an abrasion testing method developed by Dr. Kirschmer of Technische Hochschule Darmstadt, a test specimen one (1) meter long is tilted back and forth with a frequency of 21.6 cycles/minute while containing an abrasive mixture of 46% by volume quartz sand (with a particle size of 0-30 mm) in water. The resultant flow rate is 0.36 m/s (1.18 fps). As shown in Figure 1, abrasion can then be plotted for different materials as a function of the number of cycles. Using this method, HDPE pipe had an average abrasion of 0.3 mm (0.012 in) after 400,000 cycles.

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Overall, the results indicate the following: TABLE 1. Wear Rates Of Plastics And Metals Under Abrasive Slurries Wear Rates (mm) Coarse Sand Fine Sand 7 fps 15 fps 7 fps 15 fps 0.65 1.81 0.06 0.36 0.99 D-32 The wear rates are very small, varying from about 0.1 to 4 mm per year under continuous flow of abrasive slurry. Most drainage applications would have intermittent exposure. Polyethylene pipe has good abrasion resistance compared to the other plastics tested. It is reported that it has replaced metal for mine tailing slurry lines for this reason. FIGURE 1. Average Abrasion Values for Pipes Made of Various Materials (2)
in 0,18

Material Steel Aluminum Polyethylene ABS Acrylic

1.81 7.48 0.46 2.07 4.10

0.04 0.14 nil 0.07 0.17

0.02 0.86 0.06 0.51 1.42

4,5
range of measurements on asbetos cement pipes

0,16

4,0

0,14

3,5

0,12
Abrasion am (mm)

3,0

0,10 0,09 0,08 0,07 0,06 0,05 0,04 0,03 0,02 0,01 0

2,5

GFP

2,0
range of measurements on concrete pipes (vibrator-centrifugally cast tamped concrete)

1,5

1,0
range of measurements on PVC pipes

0,5
stoneware pipe HDPE Pipes 600000

200000 400000 Number of Load Cycles

More recent studies with pipes made from HDPE and steel in which a quartz sand/water mix containing 25% by volume sand was pumped through the pipes at a flow velocity of 18 fps showed that the wear per unit time in steel pipes is about 2.5 times greater than in HDPE pipes (3). Tests conducted to determine the effects of bends on the relative wear rates (Figure 2) showed about a four (4) times better wear resistance for HDPE over steel. These tests were conducted with both 7% and 14% by volume quartz sand to water mixtures with an average flow velocity of 23 fps (4). FIGURE 2. Abrasion Resistance of Pipes and Bends Made of HDPE and Steel (4)
Steel Pipe (0.25" wall thickness) Straight Pipe 3od Bend Radius 2od 15d 10d 14% 7% 14% 7% HDPE Pipe (0.25" wall thickness)

6d 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16

Time to Perforation (M hours)

Another consideration of abrasion is the pipes resistance to cleaning tool damage from power augers, saws, and Jet Rodders. The Maintenance Department of the City of St. Louis and County of Sacramento, California performed cleaning tool tests on 12 and 8 diameter N-12 pipe respectively, and found no significant damage.

REFERENCES
1. 2. 3. 4. Haas, D.B. and Smith, L.G., Erosion Studies A Report to Dupont of Canada, Ltd., Saskatchewan Research Council, E75-7, September, 1975. Kirschmer, O., Problems of Abrasion in Pipes, Steinzeugin Formationen, 1966, No. 1, pp 3-13. Much, J., Ruhrchemie AG, Oberhausen. Schreiber, W., and Hocheimer, M., Vergleichende Verschlei Bversuche an Stahl-und HostalenRohren Sowie Gummischlauchen mit Durchstromenden Sand-Wasser-Gemish, Bericht Nr. 681442, Frankfort: Hoechst AG, 1968.