The size and distribution of abrasive particles have a significant influence on the effectiveness of the cutting process by the high-speed abrasive water jet (AWJ). This paper deals with the disintegration intensity of abrasive materials in AWJ cutting during the creation of the abrasive jet. An evaluation of the abrasive materials was performed after forming in the cutting head was carried out and grain distribution was evaluated using the geometric and logarithmic Folk and Ward method. The influence of the abrasive concentration of abrasive materials such as alluvial garnet, recycled garnet, corundum, and olivine on grain distribution was studied. A recovery analysis was also carried out and the recycling coefficient was determined for each abrasive material tested.
Keywords: abrasive materials; corundum; cutting process efficiency; disintegration; garnet; olivine.