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 kinetic energies, while varying particle impact velocities. Results show that while the erosion rate varies with impact velocity, even under constant cumulative kinetic energy, the proposed energy-based parameter remains constant. For a given material pair, this parameter describes the relationship between volume loss and cumulative kinetic energy input, regardless of test parameters. Hence, it provides a reliable metric for evaluating erosion behavior, serving as a reference for comparisons across different operational parameters.
Colombani et al. (Thu,) studied this question.