Fundamentals and applications of material modification by intense pulsed beams

Abstract

Intense pulsed beam (IPB) techniques, including intense pulsed ion beams (IPIB) and intense pulsed electron beams (IPEB), are receiving more and more attention in the study of material modification. Being different from conventional ion implantation and electron beam radiation, IPBs can deliver much high-intensity energy to the surface of materials in a very short time. With high-intensity energetic condensation, there are many unexpected variations in microstructure, morphology and properties to be observed. In recent years, we have performed a study of the surface modification of materials by IBPs theoretically and experimentally. In this paper, a physical model is introduced to describe the effect of temperature field coupled with stress fields in the material radiated by IBPs. A mechanism of impact stress propagation is suggested to interpret the material modification over a depth of millimeter scale. A brief summary is given for our experimental study on IPB material modification, including characterization of the microstructure, radiation damage, surface morphologies, and mechanical properties. We also give some examples of IBP material modification trying to be applied to wear resistance, corrosion resistance, surface alloying, and film deposition.