Assessment of abrasiveness for research of rock cutting

Rock abrasiveness is ability of rock to wear down the working tool during the mutual interaction between the working indentorand the rock in the mechanical rock cutting process. The cutting indentor is worn down during the interaction, which changes itsgeometric dimensions causing the enlargement of a contact area between the tool and the rock surface. The changes in these dimensionsconsequently alter the rate of advance of the drilling machine and the specific cutting energy. We have determined the abrasivenessaccording to the norm ON 44 1121 (1982) on the testing device constructed at the Institute of Geotechnics SAS.