Cavitation erosion of NiAl

Vibratory cavitation erosion tests were carried out on as-cast NiAl interme tallic compounds containing 46.5 to 62.1 at, pet Ni. The erosion rate decre ased with increasing nickel content by over two orders of magnitude, from a high of 16.4 to 0.11 mg.h(-1). These low erosion rates exhibited by the ni ckel-rich alloys containing 58 and 62 at. pet Ni, the interruptions in thei r mass loss with time, and the unusual effects associated with surface fini sh and intensity of cavitation were found to be associated with the stress- induced martensitic transformation. Alloys containing 58 to 62 at, pet Ni h ave the potential for use as materials for the cavitation protection of hyd raulic machinery.