Dependence of the erosion rate of AISI 304 and AISI 316 via the size of sediment particles

The movement of sediment particles in rivers appreciably hinders the development of hydropower plant life across sediment-laden rivers. There is a lot of hard particles, such as feldspar and quartz. Specifically at high- and medium-head hydropower facilities, the abrasive influence of these particles causes wear hydro turbines. Therefore, production losses and maintenance costs have turned into an critical economic problem. The current study aimed to examine and compare the erosion rate of AISI 304 and AISI 316 stainless steel samples through sediment particles with different sizes. To acquire this goal, three sizes of sediment particles, including 400, 500, and 600 μm, were applied. Also, a Slurry Jet Erosion (SJE) tester advanced via the authors in previous study was utilized. On this manner, all tests were accomplished in sand slurry (10 wt%) at an impingement angle of 90°. The findings showed that AISI 316 has better erosion resistance than AISI 304. This is mostly because it contains molybdenum, which makes it better at resisting pitting and crevice corrosion in harsh environments. © The Institution of Engineering & Technology 2024.