Laboratory abrasion and electrochemical test methods as a means of determining mechanism and rates of corrosion and wear in ball mills

Abstract A review is given on general characteristics of corrosion and wear processes in both wet and dry environments. Laboratory methods for corrosion and wear studies are also reviewed including a detailed account of a jet slurry impingement apparatus used by Pitt and Chang at the University of Utah to study grinding ball metal corrosion-wear processes. Workers in the field have found that corrosion-wear processes are highly complex and subject to a great number of experimental variables such as load, pH, oxygen partial pressure, relative hardness of two interacting surfaces, impact and nature of the protective film formed on the metal surface. Effects of interactions of particles and surfaces under varying conditions are discussed. Synergistic effects between corrosion and wear are also discussed. Larger particles, higher impingement velocities and more corrosive conditions tend to increase the synergism between corrosion and wear. Methods of decreasing the corrosion rate in grinding mills are discussed along with the role that laboratory tests can play in preventing corrosion and wear of the ginding media.