An Evaluation of Cerchar Abrasive Index Unit

Abstract

Mining is the only source for the minerals and metals that are required to maintain the high quality of life we now enjoy in this modern, high-tech world in which we live. There are many equipment available to implement, some of them are drilling, blasting, tunnel boring and cutting machines etc. As the rock mass is heterogeneous as well as unisotropic.so the tools are most often observed to be inadequate for cutting and loosening the rock with perfection. Sccientists have developed so tests to predict rock properties and tool wear to be used to work efficiently. Tool wear is an important parameter in mechanized tunneling and is highly affected by rock abrasiveness. There are numerous tests to identify the rock abrasivity. One of the widely used rock abrasion tests is the Cerchar abrasion index (CAI). This test is used for estimation of bit life and wear in various mining and tunneling applications. The test is simple and can be considered for field applications. However, there are some discrepancies in the test results related to the equipment used, surface condition of rock samples, operator skills, and procedures used in measurement of worn out surface (wear flat). In this investigation, a Cerchar abrasivity index apparatus using mild steel material has been developed. Different parts were fabricated and a single unit was prepared. Four different sandstone samples collected from varying depth from 365m to 368m and their behavior were measured. The unconfined compressive strength (UCS) and Cerchar abrasivity index (CAI) values of these sample were determined. Compare the CAI value with standard laboratory test result. The relation between unconfined compressive strength (UCS) and Cerchar abrasivity index (CAI) values was developed. It is absorbed that the measured values compare favorably to standard laboratory test results.