Effects of microstructure on the erosion

The effects of microstructure on the erosion of Al-Si alloys by 40 μm Al₂O₃ particles were investigated. The impact angle dependence of the erosion rate of Al and the Al-Si alloys exhibited the ductile signature, whereas that for pure Si showed the brittle signature. The eroded surface of pure Al was characterized by craters, lips, overlaps and folds, and platelets; that for pure Si exhibited complex radial and lateral cracking at the impact site. At shallow impact angles these features were elongated in the direction of the tangential component of the velocity in both materials. The measured erosion rates of the Al-Si alloys were found to be in accord with an inverse rule of mixtures based on pure Al and pure Si; better agreement was, however, obtained if pure Al and the eutectic were taken as the two constituents for the hypoeutectic alloys, and pure Si and the eutectic for the hypereutectic alloys. The microstructure size had two effects: (a) scaling with respect to the impact damage zone size and (b) an influence on the physical and mechanical properties which govern material removal. The present results are considered in terms of current models for the erosion of ductile and brittle materials. Formerly with the Department of Materials Engineering, Formerly with the Department of Materials Engineering,