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 scale, macroscopic particles characterized by a loss of energy whenever the particles interact (the most common example would be friction when granulation, grains collide). T ...

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 ...

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

road construction A road is a thoroughfare used primarily for movement of traffic. Roads differ from streets, whose primary use is local access. They also differ from stroads, which combine the features of streets and roads. Most modern roads are paved. The ...

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

traffic Traffic is the movement of vehicles and pedestrians along land routes. Traffic laws govern and regulate traffic, while rules of the road include traffic laws and informal rules that may have developed over time to facilitate the orderly an ...

Heterogeneous catalysts Heterogeneous catalysis is catalysis where the phase of catalysts differs from that of the reagents or products. The process contrasts with homogeneous catalysis where the reagents, products and catalyst exist in the same phase. Phase distingui ...

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

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

. 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 fluidized bed is to pump press ...

. After a specified time, the material is sieved, and the sieved material is 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 t ...

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 a standards organization that develops and publishes voluntary consensus technical international standards for a wide range of materials, products, systems and s ...

. {{road-stub Roads Tribology