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

Material

Wear Rates (mm)

Coarse Sand
Fine Sand
7 fps
15 fps
7 fps
15 fps

Steel

0.65

1.81

0.04

0.02

Aluminum

1.81

7.48

0.14

0.86

Polyethylene

0.06

0.46

nil

0.06

ABS

0.36

2.07

0.07

0.51

Acrylic

0.99

4.10

0.17

1.42

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)

4,5

0,16

4,0

0,14

3,5

0,12

3,0

0,10
0,09
0,08

Abrasion am (mm)

in
0,18

range of measurements
on asbetos cement pipes

2,5

GFP

2,0

0,07
0,06

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

1,5

0,05
0,04

1,0
range of measurements
on PVC pipes

0,03
0,02

0,5

0,01
0

stoneware pipe

200000
400000
Number of Load Cycles

HDPE Pipes
600000

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

2od
15d

HDPE Pipe (0.25" wall thickness)

14%

7%

10d
14%
7%

Bend Radius

3od

6d
2

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.

Haas, D.B. and Smith, L.G., Erosion Studies A Report to Dupont of Canada, Ltd., Saskatchewan
Research Council, E75-7, September, 1975.

2.

Kirschmer, O., Problems of Abrasion in Pipes, Steinzeugin Formationen, 1966, No. 1, pp 3-13.

3.

Much, J., Ruhrchemie AG, Oberhausen.

4.

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.