Cavitation Erosion on Solid Polymers of Polytetrafluoroethelyene

A 100-h-long cavitation erosion experiment was performed on a sample of polytetrafluoroethelyene (PTFE). The weight loss curve of PTFE was different from that of metals, and the erosion process was characterized by two stages, each with a distinct erosion rate. Morphology studies on the erosion pits and X-ray diffraction analysis of the eroded surfaces revealed that brittle fracture was the main reason for the higher erosion rate at the beginning of the erosion process, while ductile fracture dominated the weight loss process later in the erosion process, thereby reducing the erosion rate. Based on these results, we consider that this transition from brittle to ductile fracture was responsible for the different erosion rates at the two different erosion stages.