Paper TF-ThP12
Comparative Study of Erosion on Various Polymers and Composites both Coated Using a DC Magnetron Sputtering Process and Uncoated

Thursday, October 25, 2018, 6:00 pm, Room Hall B

Solid particle impact erosion is a progressive loss of the materials’ mass that results from repeated impact of the erodent on the material surface. Materials selection for equipment working in this type of aggressive environmental conditions is a great challenge. These materials must possess some resistance to erosion and have high strength, hardness, toughness, and good corrosion resistance. It would be advantageous to select a lightweight material with good strength and corrosion resistance; however these materials are have limited resistance to impact erosion. Some examples of these types of materials are polymers and composites. However, in some cases, it is necessary to coat the polymers with a metallic coating to enhance certain properties of the materials. This study uses an impact erosion tester to study the effect of accelerated erosion on different polymers, composites, and metallic coated polymers and composites. A two phase mixture is circulated in a custom test fixture and allowed to impact test coupons at specified angles. The study uses three sand concentrations, a fixed liquid flow rate, and a constant impact angle during testing to determine the effect of the material’s properties on the amount of erosion. The metallic coatings on the samples are aluminum, copper, and titanium and were deposited using DC magnetron sputtering equipment and the structures of the coatings was characterized using X-Ray diffraction.