Electron-ion-plasma modification of the structure and properties of commercial steels

Abstract

The work is devoted to the structural-phase analysis of steels of the austenitic and martensitic grade, irradiated with a high-intensity pulsed electron beam of the submillisecond duration of exposure in the mode of the surface layer melting. A thermodynamic analysis of phase transformations occurring during heat treatment in alloys of the composition Fe-Cr-C and Fe-Cr-Ni-C, which are the basis of steels 20X13 and 12X18H10T, is carried out. It is shown that formation of solid solutions on the basis of [alpha]-iron (BCC crystalline lattice) and [gamma]- iron (FCC crystalline lattice) as well as the entire range of carbide phases of a complex elemental composition (M[23]C[6], M[7]C[3] и M[3]C, where symbol M refers to atoms of metallic elements Fe, Cr, and Ni) is possible in equilibrium conditions in given materials. The irradiation of steels 12X18H10T and 20X13 with a high-intensity pulsed electron beam of the submillisecond duration of exposure is carried out. It is shown that the electron-beam processing of steel in the melting mode and the subsequent rapid crystallization is accompanied by a significant transformation of the surface layer structure, consisting in complete dissolution of original carbide phase particles; in formation of dendritic crystallization cells of submicron sizes; in occurrence of martensitic [gamma]->[alpha] and [gamma]->[epsilon] transformation; in re-allocation of nanosized particles of carbide and intermetallic phases.