Solid particle erosion represents a critical degradation mechanism for aerospace components in dust-laden extraterrestrial environments. While terrestrial erodent testing has been extensively studied, systematic comparisons with validated Martian regolith simulants remain limited. This work presents the first systematic comparison of three aerospace structural alloys (AISI 304 L stainless steel, EN AW-7075 aluminum alloy and Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy) tested under identical conditions with Earth-based dust and Martian regolith simulant. Erosion tests were conducted at normal and oblique impact angles, with velocities representative of Martian wind-driven conditions. A critical finding emerged: erosion severity hierarchy reverses with impact angle. At normal impact, terrestrial dust produced substantially higher erosion than Martian simulant, whereas at oblique angles, Martian simulant caused greater material removal. This angular-dependent reversal demonstrates that Mars erosion predictions cannot be extrapolated from terrestrial testing without angle-specific data. Among the tested materials, EN AW-7075 exhibited the greatest velocity-dependent erosion, while Ti-6Al-4V demonstrated superior erosion resistance with weak velocity sensitivity. Microstructural analysis revealed mechanisms transitioning from hardness-dominated penetration at normal impact to momentum-driven cutting at oblique angles. These baseline results directly inform material selection and protective strategies for components subjected to Martian particulate environments.
Fortini et al. (2026) studied this question.