A Refined Model for Solid Particle Rock Erosion

A procedure for the estimation of distribution parameters of a Weibull distribution model K ₁ = f(K _Ic ^12/4 /σ _C ^23/4 ) for solid particle erosion, as recently suggested in Rock Mech Rock Eng, doi: 10.​1007/​s00603-014-0658-x, 2014, is derived. The procedure is based on examinations of elastic–plastically responding rocks (rhyolite, granite) and plastically responding rocks (limestone, schist). The types of response are quantified through SEM inspections of eroded surfaces. Quantitative numbers for the distribution parameter K ₁ are calculated for 30 rock materials, which cover a wide range of mechanical properties. The ranking according to the parameter K ₁ is related to qualitative rock classification schemes. A modified proposal for the erosion of schist due to solid particle impingement at normal incidence is introduced.