Abrasive wear is one of the major sources of maintenance-related costs in the mining and minerals industries. In addition to the direct costs of replacement components and labour, lost production can amount to millions of dollars per day.

UQ Materials Performance has expertise in wear mitigation based upon 12 years of University-based, industry-oriented research experience. This research has focused on (a) the understanding of industrial wear processes, (b) the factors controlling performance of wear-resistant materials, and (c) development of improved wear-resistant casting alloys. 

Services offered include: 

• Site inspections
  • identification of operative wear modes
  • assessment of design factors affecting wear severity
  • consideration of possible improvements to installation design for consumable components
  • assessment of operational constraints affecting proposed mitigation initiatives
• Laboratory testing
  • comparison of performance of candidate materials for a given application
  • product development by materials suppliers
  • specific tests chosen for maximal relevance to service conditions: low stress abrasion (e.g. rubber wheel abrasion test); high stress abrasion (ball mill abrasion test); impact-abrasion (Foundation impact-abrasion test)
  • reports giving interpretation and recommendations as well as data
• Metallurgical support
  • understanding and prediction of performance in terms of other material properties
  • microstructural examination
  • hardness and structural properties
• Field trials
  • experience in setting up trials for successful collection of performance data
  • help in choosing and sourcing candidate products
  • on-site support as needed
  • data analysis and interpretation