Complex electron-ion-plasma treatment of silumin

Abstract

The paper presents the studies aimed at detecting the effect of the complex electron-ion-plasma modification on the properties, composition and structure-phase state of eutectic composition silumin. The complex treatment included preliminary pulsed electron beam action on silumin to smooth its surface, remove the pores, and increase the adhesion of the nitride coating to the silumin substrate, vacuum arc deposition of the hard titanium nitride coating, and re-irradiation with an electron beam of sub-millisecond duration without significant destruction of the nitride coating. Regularities of surface layer modification under electron beam effect in different irradiation modes on the system “nitride coating (0.25–2.0 µm) / silumin substrate” are obtained. The investigations of structural and phase state, microhardness, roughness, friction coefficient and wear parameter of the modified layer were carried out. The dependencies of the properties of the modified layer on the main parameters of the electron beam treatment (energy density, pulse duration, pulse number) were determined. Optimal modes of electron beam treatment of silumin with titanium nitride coating without or with its insignificant destruction have been revealed, in which the modified layer has high hardness, wear resistance, adhesion strength, as well as low roughness and friction coefficient.