This article considers two mechanisms of cavitation failure: those for ductile materials and those for brittle materials. It examines the different stages of cavitation erosion. The article explains various cavitation failures including cavitation in bearings, centrifugal pumps, and gearboxes. It provides information on the cavitation resistance of materials and other prevention parameters. The article describes two American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards for the evaluation of erosion and cavitation, namely, ASTM Standard G 32 and ASTM Standard G 73. It concludes with a discussion on correlations between laboratory results and service.

Cavitation damage of diesel engine cylinder liners is due to vibration of the cylinder wall, initiated by slap of the piston under the combined forces of inertia and firing pressure as it passes top dead center. The occurrence on the anti-thrust side may possibly result from bouncing of the piston. The exact mechanism of cavitation damage is not entirely clear. Two schools of thought have developed, one supporting an essentially erosive, and the other an essentially corrosive, mechanism. Measures to prevent, or reduce, cavitation damage should be considered firstly from the aspect of design, attention being given to methods of reducing the amplitude of the liner vibration. Attempts have been made to reduce the severity of attack by attention to the environment. Inhibitors, such as chromates, benzoate/nitrite mixtures, and emulsified oils, have been tried with varying success. Attempts have been made to reduce or prevent cavitation damage by the application of cathodic protection, and this has been found to be effective in certain instances of trouble on propellers.

Two water pumps were taken out of service because of reduced output. Visual inspection revealed considerable material loss in both impellers, which were 25.4 cm (10 in.) in diam x 1.3 cm (0.5 in.) wide and made from a cast bronze alloy. Several similar water pumps operating under nearly identical conditions, drawing water from an open tank through a standpipe, had no observable failures. Etched micrographs 100x of samples taken from the impellers showed clean, pockmarked, severely eroded surfaces, characteristic of cavitation damage. Investigation also revealed that considerable quantities of air were being drawn into the system when water in the supply tank dropped below a certain level. It was concluded that cavitation erosion (due to the uptake of air) caused metal removal and microstructural damage in the impellers. Recommendations included adding a water-level control to the piping system and excluding air from the pump inlet.

Equipment in which an assembly of in-line cylindrical components rotated in water at 1040 rpm displayed excessive vibration after less than one hour of operation. The malfunction was traced to an aluminum alloy 6061-T6 combustion chamber that was part of the rotating assembly. Analysis (visual inspection, 100x/500x/800x micrographic examination, spectrographic analysis, and hardness testing) supported the conclusions that, as a result of improper heat treatment, the combustion-chamber material was too soft for successful use in this application. Misalignment of the combustion chamber and one or both of the mating parts resulted in eccentric rotation and the excessive vibration that caused malfunction of the assembly. Irregularities in the housing around the combustion chamber and temperature variation relating to the combustion pattern in the chamber were considered to be possible contributing factors to localization of the cavitation erosion. Recommendations included adopting inspection procedures to ensure that the specified properties of aluminum alloy 6061-T6 were obtained and that the combustion chamber and adjacent components were aligned within specified tolerances. In a similar situation, consideration should also be given to raising the pressure in the coolant in order to suppress the formation of cavitation bubbles.

Post-service destructive evaluation was performed on two commercially pure zirconium pump impellers. One impeller failed after short service in an aqueous hydrochloric acid environment. Its exposed surfaces are bright and shiny, covered with pockmarks, and peppered with pitting. Uniform corrosion is evident and two deep linear defects are present on impeller blade tips. In contrast, the undamaged impeller surfaces are covered with a dark oxide film. This and many other impellers in seemingly identical service conditions survive long lives with little or no apparent damage. No material or manufacturing defects were found to explain the different service performance of the two impellers. Microstructure, microhardness and material chemistry are consistent with the specified material. Examination reveals the damage mechanism to be corrosion-enhanced cavitation erosion, the most severe form of erosion corrosion. Cavitation damage to the protective oxide film caused the zirconium to lose its normally outstanding corrosion resistance. The root cause of the impeller failure is most likely the introduction of excessive air into the pump due to low liquid level, a bad seal or inadequate head. Corrosion pitting, crevice corrosion, and solidification cracks (casting defect) also contributed to the failure.