AJ-1000
The Rtec Instruments Air Jet Erosion Tester (AJ-1000) provides high-precision erosion testing for advanced materials and coatings. It directs a high-velocity gas jet carrying abrasive particles onto the sample surface to accurately measure erosion rates under controlled laboratory conditions. Designed for demanding research and industrial applications, the system features closed-loop temperature control up to 1200 °C and allows adjustment of particle type, size, impact velocity, and temperature. This flexibility enables reliable evaluation and comparison of erosion resistance for coatings, aerospace materials, energy components, and industrial alloys, helping researchers and engineers better understand material durability in extreme environments.
Key Features
- Speed up to 200 m/sec
- Precise Temperature Control from Ambient to Extreme Conditions
- Closed loop High Speed Double Disc Velocity Measurement
- Precise and Continuous Particle Delivery
- Flexible and Standardized Testing with Recipe-Based Software
- Multiple Hard Metal Nozzles Available
Manufacturer
Rtec Instruments
Rtec Instruments develops and manufactures advanced mechanical and surface testing and measurement solutions for research and industrial applications. They specialise in combining techniques that provide a unique perspective in material testing. Their testers include tribometer, profilometer, scratch tester, high-temperature indenter, and corrosion testers. Furthermore, their testers provide the most robust and versatile platform in the market for testing friction, wear, adhesion, hardness, roughness, and film thickness from nano to macro-scale.
Speed up to 200 m/sec
The AJ-1000 enables particle velocities up to 200 m/s, allowing realistic simulation of severe erosion environments found in aerospace, energy, and industrial applications. This high-speed capability accelerates testing and enhances the ability to clearly distinguish the erosion resistance of advanced materials and protective coatings.
Precise Temperature Control from Ambient to Extreme Conditions
Uniform temperature control, including independent heating of both the erodent particles and the sample, enables realistic erosion testing across an extreme temperature range—from cryogenic conditions to 1200 °C—ensuring accurate evaluation of material performance under true service environments.
Closed loop High Speed Double Disc Velocity Measurement
The AJ-1000 features a closed-loop high-speed double-disc velocity measurement system that continuously monitors and calibrates particle impact speed. This real-time control ensures precise and stable testing conditions, delivering highly accurate and reproducible erosion results while enabling reliable comparison of materials and coatings under controlled high-velocity impact conditions.
Precise and Continuous Particle Delivery
The AJ-1000 features a precise particle feed system that ensures a stable and uniform flow of abrasive particles throughout the test. This controlled delivery guarantees consistent erosion conditions, improving test repeatability and data reliability. Researchers and engineers can confidently compare materials and coatings with highly reproducible and accurate results.
Flexible and Standardized Testing with Recipe-Based Software
Intuitive computer-controlled software simplifies test setup and operation. Users can save standard recipes for repeatable experiments or create custom recipes for advanced testing, easily adjusting parameters such as velocity, temperature, particle flow, and impact angle for flexible and efficient erosion testing.
Multiple Hard Metal Nozzles Available
The AJ-1000 uses wear-resistant hard metal nozzles to maintain stable particle acceleration during erosion tests. Multiple nozzle diameters allow users to adjust the particle stream and impact conditions for different materials and standards, while durable construction ensures long-term accuracy, reduced wear, and consistent test results.
An idea about the applications with the AJ-1000
Air jet erosion testing evaluates the erosion resistance of materials and protective coatings exposed to high-speed particle impacts. It is furthermore particularly important in industries where components operate in harsh environments with sand, dust, or abrasive particles.
In the aerospace industry, engineers use it to study erosion of turbine blades, compressor components, and protective coatings. In the energy sector, researchers additionally test materials used in gas turbines, power plants, and wind turbines, where high-velocity gases carry particles that cause significant wear.
The oil and gas industry applies air jet erosion testing to evaluate pipeline materials, valves, and drilling equipment exposed to sand particles. It consequently helps develop erosion-resistant coatings for industrial machinery.
In materials research, scientists use the method to compare the durability of alloys, ceramics, and coatings. As a result, engineers can design longer-lasting materials for extreme operating environments.
Testing Standards & Compliance
The AJ-1000 Air Jet Erosion Tester conducts solid particle erosion testing in accordance with ASTM G76 and ASTM G211. ASTM G76 defines the standard method for ambient-temperature solid-particle erosion testing. It controls particle velocity, feed rate, impact angle, and nozzle geometry. As a result, erosion rates measured on different systems and in different labs can be directly compared. ASTM G211 furthermore extends this same rigor to elevated-temperature conditions. This is therefore essential for materials that only reveal their true erosion behavior at high temperatures — such as turbine alloys, thermal barrier coatings, and high-temperature seals.
The AJ-1000 consequently covers both standards on a single platform — from ambient conditions up to 1200°C. Engineers consequently do not need to switch instruments or qualify a second system when a program moves from room-temperature screening to elevated-temperature qualification. This is additionally valuable for aerospace, energy, and materials-qualification programs. In these fields, test reports are routinely reviewed by customers, regulators, or certification bodies. They furthermore need to reference a recognized standard rather than a proprietary in-house method.
Every test performed on the AJ-1000 can therefore be reported against a standard your customers, auditors, and partners already recognize. As a result, erosion data becomes a comparable, defensible reference point rather than an isolated internal result.
Industries
- Aerospace
- Metal
- Polymer
Technical Information
| Particle Velocity | 30 to 200 m/s |
| Erodent Feed Rate | 1 to 10 g/min |
| Angle of Impingement | 15°, 30°, 45°, 60°, 75° and 90° |
| Nozzle Diameter | 1.5 and 5mm in standard (several other diameters on request 2, 3, 4 mm) |
| Sample Size | 1 x 1 inch or 1 x 3 inch with standard sample holders |
| Sample height | Adjustable |
| Erodent Hopper Capacity | 3 litres |
| Temperature | 800°C, 1000°C or 1200°C, Cryo |
| Standard Erodent | 50 µm Alumina Al2O3 (other on request) |
Applications
Abrasion, Erosion Resistance
Metal: Air Jet Erosion
Polymer: Jet Erosion
Downloads
Surface and Materials Testers Product Overview
Service Support
Comprehensive repairs and servicing
Annual Support Programs
Your metrology instrumentation is a major investment that is critical to your business operation and success. In today’s competitive climate, it is more important than ever to extend the functionality and peak performance of your metrology equipment years beyond the expiration of your factory warranty. CN Tech’s Support Programs will help ensure that your investment is protected, and that you and your instrument’s are always operating at peak performance.
With over 20 years’ experience servicing and repairing you can be assured that your system is in safe hands. The independent services we offer include system relocation, maintenance visits, parts and consumables, and break down interventions.
CN Tech’s Support Programs are an economical way to guarantee optimal working condition:
- Annual Preventive Maintenance
- Priority Technical Assistance
- Preferred Parts Availability
- On-Site User Training
- Remote Diagnostics
- No surprise repair expense and much more!
Support Contact Example
An example of our service and support contracts are shown below:
Metrology & Instrumentation Annual Support Programs 2024/25
CN Tech's Support Programs will help ensure that your investment is protected, and that you and your instrument’s are always operating at peak performance.