Phase Formation Initiated by Irradiation of the Film (Si) – Substrate (Grade 3 Steel) System with a High-Intensity Pulsed Electron Beam

The physical principles of formation of phase composition and defect substructure of a surface alloy in a low-stability state formed as a result of irradiation of the film (Si) - substrate (Grade 3 steel) system with a high -intensity electron beam are revealed. The formation of a multiphase submicro- and nanocrystalline layer is observed. It is shown that irradiation of metals and alloys with a pulsed electron beam in a regime of the surface-layer melting followed by high-rate crystallization frequently gives rise to the formation of local low-stability regions exhibiting a tendency towards the formation of metastable states up to amorphization of the material. A treatment regime is identified, which allows increasing the material microhardness and wear resistance by about 3 and 7.5 factors, respectively.