A new model for the erosion of metals at normal incidence

Abstract

A new theoretical model is proposed for the erosion of metals by particles at normal incidence. The model employs a criterion of critical plastic strain to determine when the material will be removed. This critical plastic strain is defined as the strain at which the deformation in the target localizes and hence results in the lip formation. It is shown that, under typical erosion conditions, the "localization" model is more appropriate than the "fatigue" models. Finally, it is demonstrated that the new model predicts quite well all the essential features of the normal impact erosion process.