The search for new applications of ion implantation treatments

Recent advances in industrial treatments using ion beams have been made possible by new equipment designs and the development of new techniques (such as ion-beam-assisted deposition (IBAD)). Simultaneously, much effort must be focused on the search for new applications in order to exploit the possibilities of conventional high energy (100–200 keV) ion bombardment. Some case studies are proposed as examples of this task: machining tools for composite materials in the aeronautical industry and coining dies employed in coin and medal manufacture. Tools for machining composite materials are made of HSS steel or Co cemented WC. Nitrogen implantation of the steel tools and titanium implantation of the tungsten carbide tools are demonstrated to be the best techniques for increasing the tool lifetime (by threefold for the particular applications investigated). Coining dies are usually made from tool steels, and hard chromium coatings are regularly employed to achieve wear-resistant surfaces. Nitrogen implantation of chromium layers leads to a fourfold increase in the lifetime. Metal implantation (Cr +, Ti +, Ni +, Mn +) of dies without hard chromium coatings gives similar results. The food industry is the third field considered in this paper, and some examples of tool implantation (nitrogen in tool steel) are given as a solution to avoid maintenance. This work examines these case studies, with particular attention given to the wear mechanisms and compound formation in the surface layers.