Rock cutting by abrasive water jet: an energy approach

Abstract

Abrasive waterjet (AWJ) cutting is a versatile technique which has been effectively applied to rock cutting since the late 1980s. The complexity of the interaction between the waterjet and the rocks complicates the thorough understanding of the phenomena involved in AWJ rock cutting. On one hand, rocks are complex materials which are generated through different processes in an uncontrolled environment without human interference. On the other hand, the AWJ acts with high velocity and turbulence, complicating direct observation and the perception of details. In this respect, the present research aims to contribute to the study of AWJ cutting applied to rocks, including the analysis of qualitative and quantitative information, both of great importance regarding the study of complex materials. Concerning quantitative data, special attention is given to the investigation of the cutting efficiency, which can be analyzed by observing conditions in which the higher cutting rate is associated with the minimum energy provided by the AWJ machine per removed volume of rock. Moreover, the real efficiency can be analyzed through the investigation of the conditions in which the major part of the energy provided by the AWJ machine is used effectively for rock cutting, deducting dissipation losses. The effects of varying traverse velocity and pump pressure on cutting parameters were also investigated, in addition to the influence of rock properties on the effective energy of cutting. The effective energy was calculated based both on the specific energy and specific destruction work of the materials. With respect to the qualitative investigation, petrographic and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses were conducted in order to visualize and better understand the different effects of cutting on the studied rocks.Cutting tests with a traverse velocity of 200 mm/min and a pump pressure of 400 MPa presented the most efficient rock cutting regarding both methods of efficiency analysis. Dry density and tensile strength presented fair correlations with the effective cutting energy, while the modulus ratio presented the best correlations. It was observed that brittleness plays a key role in the understanding of the phenomena involved in AWJ rock cutting.