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Estimation of Cerchar abrasivity index of andesitic rocks in Ecuador from chemical compounds and petrographical properties using regression analyses

2018; Springer Science+Business Media; Volume: 78; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1007/s10064-018-1306-6

1435-9537

Francisco Javier Torrijo Echarri, Julio Garzón-Roca, Julio Company, Guillermo Cobos,

Drilling and Well Engineering

An important issue in any rock engineering project is the adequate prediction of tool consumption. Excavation tools are subjected to wear, and repair/replacement of those tools is usually an important expense on any excavation budget. The key factor that affects wear of excavation tools is rock abrasivity. In mining and civil engineering, rock abrasivity is typically measured by the Cerchar abrasivity index (CAI), which is obtained in laboratory from a Cerchar abrasivity test. This paper studied the relation between CAI and the chemical compounds and petrographical properties of andesitic rocks from the central area of Ecuador. A series of regression analyses are performed to study the influence of the different chemical compounds and petrographical properties on the CAI value. Results show that it is possible to make a good estimation of CAI from the plagioclase grain size and/or the content of SiO2, FeO, MgO, CaO, Na2O and K2O compounds.