This has been a major research interest of ours for about 40 years. We have studied liquid impact, solid particle impact and cavitation erosion. The emphasis has always been to understand the basic impact processes and the mechanisms of material removal. We have developed several new techniques (for example, the liquid jet approach in which the specimen is stationary, controlled 2-D and 3-D impacts using gels, pressure measuring techniques etc.). We have developed a multiple impact jet apparatus (MIJA) which allows laboratory studies of multiple impact rain erosion and steam turbine erosion. We have a facility for studying solid particle erosion and several gas guns for ballistic studies. The way single and multiple arrays of cavities collapse has been studied in detail. High-speed photography has played an important role in these studies. Recent research has concentrated on the solid particle erosion of diamond (for the mining industry) and liquid jet impact damage to natural and artificial composites.

For more information, see:

2005 Walley S.M. and Field J.E. "The contribution of the Cavendish Laboratory to the understanding of solid particle erosion mechanisms" Wear 258 552-566

2000 Jilbert G.H. & Field J.E. "Synergistic effects of rain and sand erosion", Wear 243 6-17

2000 Kennedy C.F. & Field J.E. "Damage threshold velocities for liquid impact" J. Mater. Sci. 35 5331-4340

1999 Field J.E. "Liquid impact: Theory, experiment, applications" Wear 233 1-12

1999 Telling R.H. & Field J.E. "The erosion of diamond, sapphire and zinc sulphide by quartz particles", Wear 233 666-673

1999 Telling R.H. & Field J.E. "Fracture and erosion of diamond", Diamond Related Mater. 8 850-854

1998 Coad E.J., Pickles C.S.J., Seward C.R., Jilbert G.H. & Field J.E. "The erosion resistance of infrared transparent materials", Proc R. Soc Lond A454 213-238

1995 Field J.E., Sun Q., Gao H. & Jilbert G.H. "Solid-particle erosion of IR-transmitting materials and diamond composites." Wear 186 195-202

1995 Pickles C.S.J., Coad E.J., Jilbert G.H. & Field J.E. "The erosive behaviour of diamonds." Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 383 327-338

1994 Field J.E. "Experimental studies of bubble collapse" in "Bubble Dynamics and Interface Phemonena" ed. J.R. Blake, J.M. Boulton-Stone & N.H. Thomas", pp. 17-31, publ. Kluwer, Dordrecht.

1994 Bourne N.K. & Field J.E. "Cavity collapse in a liquid with solid particles" J. Fluid Mech. 259 149-165

1993 Seward C.R., Pickles C.S.J, Field J.E. & Feng Z. "Liquid and solid erosion properties of diamond" Diamond Related Mater. 2 606-611