LAUSR

ABSTRACT Materials working in slurries containing seawater and abrasive particles degrade gradually because of the synergic effects of mechanical wear and electrochemical corrosion. In this study, the abrasion–corrosion behaviors of a steel–steel tribopair in an environment with artificial seawater and SiO2/Al2O3 particles were investigated. Corrosion is responsible for surface degradation at low concentrations of SiO2 particles, whereas abrasion is the primary cause for steel damage at high SiO2 concentrations. When Al2O3 particles were used, abrasion was found to be the dominant factor for material loss at all concentrations. Results from this study indicate that at low concentrations of hard particles, abrasion–corrosion behavior is determined by the properties of particles.