Attrition test

An attrition test is a

test Test(s), testing, or TEST may refer to: * Test (assessment), an educational assessment intended to measure the respondents' knowledge or other abilities Arts and entertainment * ''Test'' (2013 film), an American film * ''Test'' (2014 film), ...

carried out to measure the resistance of a

granular material A granular material is a conglomeration of discrete solid, macroscopic particles characterized by a loss of energy whenever the particles interact (the most common example would be friction when grains collide). The constituents that compose gra ...

wear Wear is the damaging, gradual removal or deformation of material at solid surfaces. Causes of wear can be mechanical (e.g., erosion) or chemical (e.g., corrosion). The study of wear and related processes is referred to as tribology. Wear in m ...

. An example of a material subjected to an attrition test are stones used in

road construction A road is a linear way for the conveyance of traffic that mostly has an improved surface for use by vehicles (motorized and non-motorized) and pedestrians. Unlike streets, the main function of roads is transportation. There are many types of ...

, indicating the resistance of the material to being broken down under road

traffic Traffic comprises pedestrians, vehicles, ridden or herded animals, trains, and other conveyances that use public ways (roads) for travel and transportation. Traffic laws govern and regulate traffic, while rules of the road include traffic ...

Heterogeneous catalysts In chemistry, heterogeneous catalysis is catalysis where the phase of catalysts differs from that of the reactants or products. The process contrasts with homogeneous catalysis where the reactants, products and catalyst exist in the same phase. P ...

are also subjected to attrition tests to determine their physical performance in a

heterogeneous catalytic reactor Heterogenous catalytic reactors put emphasis on catalyst effectiveness factors and the heat and mass transfer implications. Heterogenous catalytic reactors are among the most commonly utilized chemical reactors in the chemical engineering industry. ...

. The test itself involves agitating the particles, typically by tumbling within a drum, vibration, or with jets of gas to simulate a

fluidised bed A fluidized bed is a physical phenomenon that occurs when a solid particulate substance (usually present in a holding vessel) is under the right conditions so that it behaves like a fluid. The usual way to achieve a fluidize bed is to pump pressu ...

. After a specified time, the material is sieved and the sieved material weighed to measure the proportion of material which has been reduced to below a certain size (referred to as 'fines'). The specifics of the test are defined by various

standards Standard may refer to: Symbols * Colours, standards and guidons, kinds of military signs * Standard (emblem), a type of a large symbol or emblem used for identification Norms, conventions or requirements * Standard (metrology), an object th ...

as applicable to the purpose in question, such as those defined by

ASTM ASTM International, formerly known as American Society for Testing and Materials, is an international standards organization that develops and publishes voluntary consensus technical standards for a wide range of materials, products, systems, an ...

. {{road-stub Roads Tribology