Surface modification of compressor steels using thermally assisted ionic diffusion in the titanium plasma of a vacuum arc discharge

Abstract

The thermally stimulated ionic diffusion (ionic modification) of titanium ions at the surfaces of EP866 and EI961 compressor steels is considered in the plasma of the high-current vacuum-arc discharge (VAD) in an ion-plasma MAP-3 plant. The dependences of the sample temperature in the sputtering chamber of the ion-plasma MAP-3 plant and the rate of specific change of the sample mass on the bias voltage at a VAD current of 300 A are obtained. The elemental composition of the surface layers of the samples subjected to ion treatment is studied. It is shown that, at a VAD current of 300 A and a bias voltage up to 400 V, the compressor steel sample temperature does not exceed 440°C and the inversion voltage, which determines the transition from coating condensation to ion etching of a substrate, is ~360 V for EP866 steel and ~390 V for EI961 steel. The corrosion resistance of the compressor steels modified at a VAD current of 300 A is investigated.