L.L. Meisner

Formation of microcraters and hierarchically-organized surface structures in TiNi shape memory alloy irradiated with a low-energy, high-current electron beam

The regularities of surface cratering in TiNi alloy irradiated with a low-energy, high-current electron beam (LEHCEB) in dependence on energy density and number of pulses are studied. LEHCEB processing of TiNi samples was carried out using RITM-SP facility. Energy density Es was varied from 1 to 5 J/cm2, pulse duration was 2.5–3.0 μs, the number of pulses n = 1–128. The dominant role of non-metallic inclusions [mainly, TiC(O)] in the nucleation of microcraters was found. It was revealed that at small number of pulses (n = 2), an increase in energy density leads both to increasing average diameter and density of microcraters. An increase in the number of pulses leads to a monotonic decrease in density of microcraters, and, therefore, that of the proportion of the area occupied by microcraters, as well as a decrease in the surface roughness. The multiple LEHCEB melting of TiNi alloy in crater-free modes enables to form quasi-periodical, hierarchically-organized microsized surface structures.

In vitro biocompatibility of the surface ion modified NiTi alloy

This paper presents the results of the chemical, topographic and structural properties of the NiTi alloy surface and their changes after surface treatments by ion implantation techniques with use of ions Ta+ and Si+. The influence of physicochemical properties of the surface ion modified NiTi alloy was studied on in vitro cultured mesenchymal stem cells of the rats’ bone marrow. It is shown that the ion surface modification improves histocompatibility of the NiTi alloy and leads to increase of proliferative activity of mesenchymal stem cells on its surface. It was experimentally found that a major contribution to viability improvement mesenchymal stem cells of rat marrow has the chemical composition and the microstructure of the surface area.

Surface morphology and chemical composition of TiTa-based surface alloy formed on TiNi by electron beam additive technologies

This paper presents research results on the physiochemical and topographic surface properties of a NiTi alloy and their changes after different surface treatments: mechanical polishing, electron beam cleaning, and TiTa-based surface alloying. The possibility of using electron beam treatment for surface preparation with no additional methods is shown. Experiments demonstrate that the TiTa-based alloy surface formed by multiple magnetron deposition of TiTa film and subsequent pulsed electron beam melting of the film/substrate system is chemically and morphologically homogeneous.

Surface structure and physicomechanical properties of NiTi exposed to electron beam and ion-plasma treatment

The paper presents research data on the physicomechanical surface properties of NiTi alloy after microsecond low-energy high-current electron beam treatment and subsequent magnetron TiTa coating deposition. Nanoindentation shows that after electron beam treatment, the material at a depth of 2 µm, these properties correspond to their initial values. After subsequent deposition of a TiTa coating 1 µm thick, the material reveals changes in its bulk physicomechanical properties. The dependences of Hµ, δH, and η on the indentation depth h feature three quasilinear portions with constant slopes of Hµ, δH, and η which correlate with the multilayer structure formed in the material during electron beam treatment and coating deposition.

Phase and structural states in the NiTi-based alloy surface layer formed by electron-ion-plasma methods using tantalum

The paper reports on a study of regularities of formation gradient nano-, submicron and microstructural conditions in the surface layers of the samples after pulsed electron-beam melting of tantalum coating on the substrate NiTi alloy. Experimentally revealed the presence of submicron columnar structure in the upper layers of the tantalum coating. After irradiation modified NiTi surface takes on a layered structure in which each layer differs in phase composition and structural phase state.

In-situ X-ray diffraction studies of the phase transformations and structural states of B2, R and B19′ phases in Ti49.5Ni50.5 alloy

The martensitic transformation, Debye–Waller factor, mean-square atomic displacements and the coefficient of thermal expansion on cooling of the Ti49.5Ni50.5 shape memory alloy were examined using in-situ X-ray diffraction. It was revealed B2→R (TR ≡ T = 273 ± 10 K) along with B2→B19’ (Ms ≡ T = 273 ± 10 K) transitions occur. It was found that Debye–Waller factor and mean-square displacement of B2 phase undergo significant increase as functions of temperature when phase transition B2→R and B2→B19’ take place. The analysis of the thermal expansion coefficient of the B2 phase indicates that the value of a increases almost linearly while cooling.

Transmission electron microscopy studying of structural features of NiTi B2 phase formed under pulsed electron-beam impact

By transmission electron microscopy method the evolution of structural-phase states on a depth of close to equiatomic NiTi modified layer has been studied. Modification performed by pulse impact on its surface low-energy high-current electron beam (beam energy density 10 J/sm2, 10 pulses, pulse duration 50mks). It is established that during the treatment in the layer thickness of 8–10 μm, the melting of primary B2 phase and contained therein as Ti2Ni phase particles occurs. The result is change in the concentration ratio of titanium and nickel in the direction of increasing titanium content, which was confirmed by X-ray analysis in the form of increased unit cell parameter B2 phase. Analysis of the electron diffraction pattern showed that the modified layer is characterized as a highly distorted structure on the basis of bcc lattice. Lattice distortions are maximal near the surface and extends to a depth of melt. In subjacent layer there is gradual decline lattice distortions is observed.

Nonequilibrium structural condition in the medical TiNi-based alloy surface layer treated by electron beam

The research is devoted to study the structural condition and their evolution from the surface to the depth of TiNi specimens treated by low-energy high-current electron beams with surface melting at a beam energy density E = 10 J/cm2, number of pulses N = 10, and pulse duration τ = 50 μs. Determined thickness of the remelted layer, found that it has a layered structure in which each layer differs in phase composition and structural phase state. Refinement B2 phase lattice parameters in local areas showed the presence of strong inhomogeneous lattice strain.

Gradient changes in structural condition of the B2 phase of NiTi surface layers after electron-beam treatments

Structural conditions of the B2 phase of the Ti49.5Ni50.5 alloy surface layers before and after electron-beam treatments (pulse duration τ = 150 μs, number of pulses n = 5, beam energy density E ≤ 20 J/cm2) were studied by X-ray diffraction analysis. Analysis of the X-ray patterns demonstrates that surface layers modified by electron beam treatment contain phase with B2surf structure. It is revealed that the lattice parameter of the B2surf phase in the surface (modified) layer is also higher than the lattice parameter of the B2 phase in the underlying layer (aB2 = 3.0159±0.0005). The values of lattice parameter of phase B2surf amounted aB2surf = 3.0316±0.0005 A and aB2surf = 3.0252±0.0005 A, for the specimens after electron-beam treatment at E1 = 15 J/cm2 and E2 = 20 J/cm2, respectively. Inflated lattice parameters aB2surf are associated with changes in the chemical composition and the presence of residual stresses in the surface region of the samples after electron-beam treatments.

Phase Composition in NiTi Near-Surface Layers after Electron Beam Treatment and its Variation Depending on Beam Energy Density

In the work, we study the mechanisms of structural phase state formation in NiTi surface layers after low-energy pulsed electron beam irradiation depending on the electron beam energy density. It is revealed that after electron beam treatment of the NiTi specimens at energy densities E1 = 15 J/cm2, E2 = 20 J/cm2, and E3 = 30 J/cm2, a series of effects is observed: the absence of the Ti2Ni phase and the presence of new peaks correspond to the B19′ martensite phase with monoclinic structure. Estimation of the relative volume content of the B2 and B19′ phases from the total intensity of their peaks shows that the percentage of the martensite phase increases from ∼5 vol.% in the NiTi specimen irradiated at E1 = 15 J/cm2 to ∼80 vol.% in the NiTi specimen irradiated at E3 = 30 J/cm2. It is found that in the NiTi specimens irradiated at E ≤ 20 J/cm2, the layer that contains a martensite phase resides not on the surface but at some depth from it.