Development of a novel erosion model for determining threshold velocity of Polyphenylene Sulfide (PPS) in water injection system (C2026-00419)

Mohammadreza Karami, Soroor Karimi, Siamack Shirazi, Qiuchen Wang

Industries have shifted from metallic to non-metallic materials, including oil and gas and water injection systems. Polymers are increasingly favored due to their corrosion resistance, lower density, and ease of manufacturing. Among them, Polyphenylene Sulfide (PPS) stands out for its excellent chemical stability and high thermal resistance under harsh conditions.
This study investigates the erosion ratio of PPS under both gas and submerged particle-impingement conditions. A series of experiments was conducted using a dry test. Results showed that the maximum erosion occurred at a 45° impact angle, indicating a semi-ductile behavior. The erosion ratio followed a power-law correlation with velocity comparable to values reported for metallic materials.
Building on these findings, the erosion model proposed by Zhang et al. (2007) was modified. The revised model demonstrated strong agreement with experimental data. To further validate the model, it was implemented in ANSYS FLUENT via UDF. The modified model significantly improves prediction accuracy. Additionally, submerged erosion tests were also conducted. A slurry mixture was applied to PPS specimens, and the results were compared to CFD simulations. The modified model showed a substantial improvement in the accuracy. Overall, the results underscore the importance of developing tailored erosion models for non-metallic materials like PPS