Mechanisms and Laws of Steel Surface Degradation during the Stages of Developed Droplet Erosion

摘要

The features inherent to the degradation of austenitic steel are investigated under cyclic droplet impingement when a developed erosion relief exists on a surface. Electron microscopy and simulation methods are used to demonstrate that, at a given erosion stage, the surface degrades due to bubble cavitation accompanied by fatigue processes. The conditions leading to the appearance of bubble cavitation, the laws of its influence on the erosive wear of a surface layer, and the mechanism underlying the formation of erosion pipe channels are described.