Patent ID: 7757542

Claim:
A method for testing abrasion resistance of a test specimen at elevated temperatures of at least 230 degrees Fahrenheit comprising: a. determining a density of at least one test specimen and a weight of the at least one test specimen; b. placing the at least one test specimen on a carrier; c. placing the at least one test specimen on the carrier in an insulated furnace, wherein the insulated furnace comprises: i a housing forming a first chamber lined with a refractory material; ii an inner wall within the first chamber forming a second chamber, wherein the inner wall has a second air intake for flowing heated air at a temperature above the test temperature to the second chamber; iii a tube disposed within the second chamber; iv a first air intake for providing pressurized air at a temperature below a test temperature connected to a tube; v an exhaust port disposed through the housing in communication with the first chamber; vi a controller in communication with a first thermocouple adjacent the second air intake for monitoring heated air temperature at the second air intake and in communication with a second thermocouple adjacent at the test specimen; and ix a closable opening in the housing for allowing the at least one test specimen to be placed in the first chamber; d. heating air forming heated air using a burner burning a fuel, wherein the burner is in communication with a blower providing a variable flow of the heated air to the second air intake; e. forming pressurized air with an air compressor; f. mixing the pressurized air with at least one abrading media using an air gun and flowing the blended air to a tube passing through the first air intake and further wherein the abrading media is disposed above an abrading media intake port of the air gun; g. mixing blended air from the tube with the heated air from the second air intake forming mixed air at the test temperature for impacting with the test specimen for a specific duration of time; and h. removing the test specimen from the furnace and weigh the test specimen and determine weight loss using a known density to determine a volume of loss of the test specimen.