Cavitation erosion by shockwave self-focusing of a single bubble.

ABSTRACT: The ability of cavitation bubbles to effectively focus energy is made responsible for cavitation erosion, traumatic brain injury, and even for catalyse chemical reactions. Yet, the mechanism through which material is eroded remains vague, and the extremely fast and localized dynamics that lead to material damage has not been resolved. Here, we reveal the decisive mechanism that leads to energy focusing during the non-spherical collapse of cavitation bubbles and eventually results to the erosion of hardened metals. We show that a single cavitation bubble at ambient pressure close to a metal surface causes erosion only if a non-axisymmetric energy self-focusing is at play. The bubble during its collapse emits shockwaves that under certain conditions converge to a single point where the remai

SUBMITTER: Reuter F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9587525 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature