Abstract: It is well known that the abrasive particles in the
abrasive water suspension has significant effect on the erosion
characteristics of the inside surface of the nozzle. Abrasive particles
moving with the flow cause severe skin friction effect, there by
altering the nozzle diameter due to wear which in turn reflects on the
life of the nozzle for effective machining. Various commercial
abrasives are available for abrasive water jet machining. The erosion
characteristic of each abrasive is different. In consideration of this
aspect, in the present work, the effect of abrasive materials namely
garnet, aluminum oxide and silicon carbide on skin friction
coefficient due to wall shear stress and jet kinetic energy has been
analyzed. It is found that the abrasive material of lower density
produces a relatively higher skin friction effect and higher jet exit
kinetic energy.