Investigation of cavitation erosion caused by laser-induced single bubble collapse near alloy coating surface

Abstract

To investigate the mechanism of cavitation erosion caused by laser-induced single bubble near the surface coating alloy coating material, we utilized a nanosecond resolution photography system based on a Q-switched Nd: YAG laser and conventional industrial camera to carefully observe the transient process of bubble collapse under different conditions. We analyzed the generation of collapse microjets and the emission of collapse shock waves and explored the cavitation erosion characteristics caused by laser-induced single bubble collapse. We discovered that even on surfaces of highly hard and corrosion-resistant alloy coatings, severe cavitation erosion occurred, and there was a phenomenon of mismatch between the cavitation erosion location and the bubble projection position. The intensity of cavitation erosion depended on the energy self-focusing effect of the collapse shockwaves. In the experiments, we also observed the self-focusing phenomenon of collapse shockwaves under different conditions. The self-focusing effect of collapse shockwaves weakened as the distance between the bubble and the material surface increased, which may be the cause of cavitation erosion induced by a laser-induced single bubble.