The kinetic energy of wear particles generated by abrasive–water-jet erosion

The kinetic energy of wear particles removed by the erosive action of a high-speed mixture of abrasive particles and water is estimated, based on a simple analysis and on impact-force measurements of the abrasive–water-jet before and during the material-removal process. The energy involved in the acceleration of the wear particles is about 0.3% of the input energy of the high-speed abrasive–water-jet. The kinetic energy of the wear particles that are removed increases linearly with the erosion depth.