The longevity of a material is very important in the oil industry. With everything that attacks materials in down hole environments, companies have their hands full keeping their tools in good shape. One of the systems that have been in use over the years is hardbanding. Hardbanding is a layer typically added to the outer diameter of drill pipe and other tools. The hardbanding is welded on to the pipe or tool and is usually infused with carbide. These thicker bands around the pipe protect the softer pipe metal from contacting the walls and rocks down hole, thus prolonging their useful life spans. The carbide layer helps make companies drill pipe and other tools last much longer, saving them millions of dollars in the end.

A good way to test and compare these hardbanding applications is with wear testing. EPI Materials testing group uses three ASTM specs and custom testing to help companies get the most out of there hardbanding applications. The ASTM specs are G65, G105 and B611. The three specs all use the same apparatus, but use different wheels, applied forces, duration of the test, and some even use a slurry mix to make the test more abrasive. The test involves sand flowing onto a specimen while a wheel spins against it with a certain applied load. Wear testing has been used to test other materials as well including base materials, thermal sprays, and just about anything else when custom testing.

A picture of typical hardbanding and the wear testing apparatus are shown below.

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