Non-destructive Evaluation of Cavitation Erosion Behavior of Alumina-based Ceramic Samples

Abstract

Numerous industrial parts, devices, and processes are designed to withstand the conditions that lead to cavitation erosion. Metallic, ceramic, and composite materials used for these conditions must achieve specific mechanical characteristics required to resist cavitation erosion. When molten metal or alloy flows and comes into contact with refractory material or coated furnace linings, cavitation erosion can occur. This phenomenon is particularly expected in metallurgy, especially in casting operations. Alumina-based refractories, specifically low cement castable (ALCC), are often used in furnace lining applications due to their superior properties, such as high refractoriness, thermal stability, and mechanical characteristics. Mullite is another refractory material frequently used in foundry lining applications. It can be utilized as a coating in casting processes, such as the Lost Foam process, which is a novel method for producing high-quality, cost-effective castings. These two refractory materials were chosen to study their behavior under cavitation conditions. An ultrasonic vibratory test with a stationary specimen (ASTM G-32) was used for experimental cavitation determination. The results of mass loss and surface morphological parameters of degradation revealed that ALCC samples eroded predominantly at the surface, while the mullite samples exhibited more significant degradation by depth.