A demonstration of cavitation
Cavitation is a scary phenomenon
by definition- Pump cavitation is a damaging process where localized pressure drops inside a pump cause the liquid to turn into vapor, creating bubbles. As these bubbles move to higher-pressure areas, they collapse violently. This implosion generates intense shockwaves that can pit and erode metal components, destroying the pump over time.
I was lucky enough to witness this demonstration as well as tear down these pumps to inspect the damage caused to these Fybroc fiberglass centrifugal pumps.