A comparative study of ductile and brittle materials due to single angular particle impact

A comparative study of ductile and brittle materials due to a single angular particle impact is conducted. The OFHC copper and float glass are selected as the representation for ductile and brittle target respectively. An erosion model based on FE-SPH method is validated by comparing with original measured data from pioneering investigators and practical glass erosion experiments performed in our laboratory. Predictions over a wide range of incident parameters allow the study on the effect of incident orientation θi. It shows that θi has a great effect on crater formation of ductile material. It also affects the ejection of crack chips as well as the degradation extent of brittle surface. For ductile erosion, the phenomenon “chip break-off” arises when particle arrives with oblique incidence. For brittle erosion, the crack formation and propagation is primarily discussed that dominants the subsurface damage of the target. It is also revealed that the kinetic energy transferred from the impacting particles to the ductile surface is dissipated into material deformation or chipping, while the kinetic energy of brittle erosion is transferred into material cracking. This work first realizes the glass erosion experiment to demonstrate the high sensitivity of brittle material on incident parameters during the impact process. The results also provide a further understanding of solid particle erosion mechanisms. [Display omitted] •A FE-SPH model was validated in predicting angular particle erosion behaviors.•A comparative study on erosion mechanisms was conducted between ductile and brittle materials.•Phenomena of “chip break-off” action and crack formation and propagation were analyzed.•The splash of crack chips of brittle material was well reproduced by the SPH method combined with Johnson-Holmquist model.•The incident orientation plays a key role in transition of erosion mechanisms for both materials.