Erosion Model for Brittle Materials Under Low-Speed Impacts

Abstract

The erosion of perfectly brittle materials under low-speed impacts is studied by the combination of the Hertzian contact theory and the maximum stress criterion. It is found that the fractional erosion per impact is proportional to the product of the square root of the yield strain and the ratio of the kinetic energy per volume of the impacting body to the critical strain energy density of the target. The novel formula is conceptually extended to the erosion of cracked brittle materials.