Modeling of the Electron Beam Current during the Pulse for Alloying the Surface of Stainless Steel with Titanium and Aluminum

By irradiating the the “film (Ti)/film (Al)/(12Kh18N10T) substrate” system with a low (up to 25 keV) electron beam modulated during a pulse (up to 1 ms), the wear rate of the steel surface was reduced by ≈1300 times at a constant high (0.6–0.73) dry coefficient friction and a slight change in the microhardness of the surface. The application of Ti and Al films with a thickness of 5 microns was carried out by the method of electric arc plasma-assisted sputtering of cathodes made of technically pure titanium grade VT1-0 and technically pure aluminum grade A7. The irradiation of the “film (Ti)/film (Al)/(12Kh18N10T) substrate” system is performed by an electron source with a plasma cathode. The irradiation modes were selected based on the results of numerical beam modeling in Comsol Multiphysics to ensure the fastest heating of the sample to the required temperatures and to maintain this temperature for a given time. Electron beam alloying of 12X18H10T steel with titanium and aluminum has not been studied before. The methods of X-ray diffraction analysis, scanning and transmission diffraction electron microscopy were used to study the elemental and phase composition, the state of the defective substructure of samples irradiated with an electron beam in the identified optimal mode. The patterns of evolution of the defective substructure, phase and elemental composition, microhardness, wear resistance and coefficient of friction of the “film (Ti)/film (Al)/(12Kh18N10T) substrate” system subjected to electron beam processing have been revealed. Possible applications of this type of processing of steel parts for agriculture and mechanical engineering are indicated.