Effect of mechanical surface and heat treatments on erosion resistance

The effect of erosion by glass beads and crushed glass and by heat treatments on the erosional resistance of 6061 aluminum alloy and 1045 steel were studied. The aluminum alloy's erosion resistance was found to be insensitive to mechanical surface treatment applied before testing, and was determined to depend on the properties of the work-hardened surface layer; this was also demonstrated for aluminum alloy single crystals. The aluminum alloy heat treatments included annealing, solution, and precipitation. Solution was found to increase erosion resistance but precipitation had the opposite effect. Hardness showed no correlation with erosion resistance for either aluminum alloy steel. The steel tests showed that crushed glass provides an order of magnitude more erosion than glass beads.