Solid particle erosion of reinforced composite materials

Abstract Solid particle impingement erosion of uncoated composite materials of quartz-polyimide, glass-epoxy and quartz-polybutadiene constructions was investigated using sand from the Mediterranean Sea. The effects of the mass of sand impacted and the impact angle were determined and details of the surface damage were characterized. While progressive mass loss was observed on all materials as the mass of sand impacted increased, one glass-epoxy composite exhibited erosion which was less than that of the other composites by half an order of magnitude; this is attributed to better adhesion between the matrix and fibers, a higher percentage of fiber loading and lower porosity. This glass-epoxy composite exhibited semiductile erosion behavior with a maximum weight loss at an impingement angle of 45°–60° while the others eroded in a brittle manner with a maximum at an impingement angle of 75°–90°. The erosion process in these composites consisted of the following sequence: (1) erosion and local removal of material in the resin zones; (2) erosion in the fiber zones associated with breakage of fibers due to bending failure of unsupported sections where resin beneath these sections had been removed; (3) erosion of the interface zones between the fibers and the adjacent matrix.