Nitriding of titanium in electron beam excited plasma in medium vacuum

Abstract

We report our results on nitriding of industrially-pure titanium VT1-0 in the plasma formed by continuous electron beam created by a fore-vacuum plasma-cathode electron source, at different temperatures of the titanium sample surface (700–1020 °C) and electron beam energy (4–6 keV), in medium vacuum (5 Pa) of nitrogen. Electron beam was used for direct treatment and heating of the sample as well as for the plasma generation. It is demonstrated that such parameters of the Ti sample as nitrogen content, the depth of nitride layer, Vickers microhardness, and wear-resistance grow with sample temperature and beam energy. Such positive effects happen, likely, due to enhanced generation of active atoms and atomic ions of nitrogen in beam-produced plasmas in medium vacuum.