Abstract
After pointing out the interrelation between corrosion resistance, caustic embrittlement, fatigue, creep, and other phenomena of metals, the author cites the results of experiments on glass and quartz rods, subjected to high liquid pressures, as indicative of the action which probably occurs in cavitation erosion. To demonstrate the mechanism of cavitation on this basis, an investigation was conducted, in which tests were made on gray-cast-iron specimens in water, alcohol, glycerin, and paraffin oil, using a magnetostriction oscillator as the source of energy. The results of the tests which are reported bear out the theory. Materials and protective coatings which reduce cavitation erosion greatly, and the effect of the presence of hydrogen in the liquid are discussed.
