A numerical study on the effect of particle shape on the erosion of ductile materials

Although extensive studies have been performed to establish the relationship between material erosion rate and system parameters, how to accurately predict the erosion rate of engineering materials is still a challenge. Recent experiments have shown that particle shape cannot only affect erosion rate but also change material erosion mechanisms, thus casting doubts on existing models based on the erosion mechanisms incurred by ideal rigid spherical particles. In this study, finite element simulations with the Johnson-Cook constitutive and failure models are used to study the erosion mechanism and erosion rate of different materials under the impact of solid particles with different shapes. The simulations not only reveal distinct mechanisms under the impact of particles with different shapes, but also establish the relationship between the erosion rate and particle shape. Importantly, the established relationship is in good agreement with existing experimental observations. The present work not only gains interesting insights into the effect of particle shape on material erosion, but also provides useful guideline for developing anti-erosion strategies.