Influence of High Energy Impact on the Structural-Phase State and Tribological Properties of the Surface Layer of Metal-Ceramic Composite Materials

The structural-phase state of the 50 vol % TiC/50 vol % (Ni—Cr) surface layer of a metal-ceramic composite subjected to pulsed electron irradiation in plasma of inert gases with different atomic masses is experimentally investigated and the obtained results are presented. The regularities of the influence of the atomic mass of a plasma-forming inert gas on the characteristic features of the heterogeneous structure of the nanostructured surface layer of a metal-ceramic composite and the thickness of the surface layer with modified structure are presented and discussed. It is demonstrated that, in the case of the pulsed electron irradiation of a metal-ceramic alloy, the formation of a nanostructured surface layer significantly increases the surface-layer wear resistance and reduces the friction coefficient over the irradiated surface. An increase in the wear resistance of the surface layer and a decrease in the friction coefficient along the irradiated surface occur in accordance with an increase in the atomic mass of the plasma-forming gas under pulsed electron irradiation.