VISUALIZATION OF SURFACE-WAVES PROPAGATING OVER SURFACES ERODED DUE TO PARTICLE IMPACT

The continuous impact of particles onto a material surface results in erosion. In technical applications particles with a diameter from micr ons up to millimetres impinge onto surfaces with velocities up to 10 m s(-1). In order to investigate experimentally the erosion at the surf ace of crystalline materials plates of austenitic steel were locally d amaged owing to the repeated impact of solid particles. The amplitude of the elastic surface deformation which is excited by the impact of a single particle is only 10(-9)-10(-7) m. The surface deformation whic h is caused by such an impact was measured by means of double-pulse ho lographic interferometry. Because of the small amplitude of the surfac e waves quasi-heterodyne holographic interferometry was required. The areas of initial wear of the materials can be recognized by the distur bed propagation of the surface waves.