Erosive particle impacts can result in the high-strain-rate deposition of an appreciable amount of energy into the deformed volume of the target material. This energy likely causes local heating; softening or even melting has been observed in many materials. Hardening caused by the high-strain-rate deformation has also been reported for strain-hardenable materials. The effect of individual impacts on the surface of selected aluminum alloys was determined both analytically using theoretical considerations and experimentally using 343-μm-diam tungsten carbide balls impacting at about 30 m/s and 30° incidence angle. After impact a mechanical properties microprobe was used to measure the hardness of both the crater bottom and material just below the original surface. Strain hardening, but no evidence of softening, was observed for two aluminum alloys.

Subject
Scanning electron microscopy, Hardening, Materials, Erosion resistance, Indentation, Metal surfaces, Melting, Hardness measurements, Heat, Erosion, Aluminum alloys, Hardness, Crattering
© 1988 Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP). All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of AMPP. Positions and opinions advanced in this work are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of AMPP. Responsibility for the content of the work lies solely with the author(s).
1988
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
You do not currently have access to this content.