Cavitation erosion of face centered cubic metals

The mechanical damage produced by cavitation, in simple fcc metals,e.g. aluminum, copper and nickel, was studied in order to determine the mechanism of cavitation erosion. The damage produced within the incubation period was observed qualitatively by SEM and optical metallography and measured quantitatively by microhardness and X-ray diffraction. It has been shown that the deformation is massive in nature and extends throughout the bulk of the sample. This damage is caused by a shock-like stress pulse produced by the concerted collapse of a large number of bubbles. The erosion of these metals is dependent on the formation of undulations on the surface. The undulations deepen to form craters as cavitation proceeds and material is lost by ductile rupture from the lips of the craters.