A.K. Kuleshov

Modification of the T15K6 hard alloy with high-power pulsed ion beams and compression plasma fluxes

The change in the morphology, phase composition, hardness of surface layers, microstructure, and elemental composition of the inner layers of an alloy under the effect of high-power pulsed ion beams (HIBs) and compression plasma streams (CPSs) is investigated. It is found that the thickness of the molten surface layer increases to 3–4 μm after the HIB effect: 300 pulses 9 × 10−2 μm long with a summary energy density of 430 J/cm2. The features of the CPF treatment are a larger time of pulse effect (100 μs) and the preferential convection agitation of the molten layer. As a result, a thicker layer of the (W, Ti)C solid solution with uniform elemental distribution over the depth and high hardness (30 GPa) is formed.

Microstructure, heat transfer, and melting of the layers of hard alloy containing titanium and tungsten carbides in conditions of high-power pulsed treatment

The influence of energy density and pulse count under the effect by compression plasma flows (CPFs) and high-current electron beams (HCEBs) on the melting depth and microstructure of modified layers of T15K6 alloy is investigated. A method of computer modeling of heat transfer under such high-power effects on the hard alloy taking into account the bulk ratio of alloy components, variations in their thermal characteristics with an increase in temperature, difference in the pulse shape, and corresponding spatial energy release is proposed. The comparison of calculated melting depths of alloy components for HCEBs and CPFs with the experimental data in a range of energy densities of 30–50 J/cm2 showed their good agreement. The interrelation of the features of the thermal effect of HCEBs and CPFs with the melting depth and microstructure of modified layers of T15K6 alloy is revealed.