An Energy-Based Parameter for Solid Particle Erosion Assessment

Abstract Solid particle erosion is a critical degradation mechanism affecting material lifespan in engineering applications. Traditional assessment relies on the erosion rate parameter, which, however, fails to compare results across tests conducted under different particle impact velocities. Through a combined experimental and numerical approach, this study introduces a novel energy-based parameter, derived from the concept of specific wear-rate commonly used to evaluate material resistance in sliding wear. Erosion tests were performed using a C40 steel substrate and Al2O3 particles, at controlled cumulative incident kinetic energies, while varying particle impact velocities. Results show that while the erosion rate varies with impact velocity, even under constant cumulative incident kinetic energy, the proposed energy-based parameter remains constant. For the investigated C40/Al2O3 coupling at a 15-deg impact angle, this parameter shows a consistent correlation between volume loss and cumulative incident kinetic energy across different particle velocities, suggesting it may provide a useful framework for comparing erosion tests conducted under varying operational parameters.