Structural evolution of copper alloys under high-power ion-beam irradiation

Structural and phase transformations in copper and its alloys—brass and bronze, irradiated by a high-power ion beam are investigated by X-ray diffraction and scanning-electron microscopy. It is established that the phase reconstruction in brass is caused by the partial removal of zinc from the surface and its diffusion toward the surface from deeper surface layers. Copper and bronze undergo only structural transformations induced by the growth of stresses of type I, II, and III and dislocation density.