Scientists at Tomsk Polytechnic University have developed a technology that increases the lifespan of steel parts by fifty times. The method is based on pulsed surface treatment with a beam of metal and gas ions. The approach allows modifying a layer of material with a thickness from units to tens of micrometers, making it harder, more resistant to friction and corrosion.
Traditional hardening methods often affect only a thin surface layer, which limits their effectiveness. The team at the TPU Laboratory of High-Intensity Ion Implantation proposed a combined process: pulsed implantation, radiation-stimulated diffusion, local surface heating by a beam, and ultra-fast cooling by dissipating heat into the material.
According to Olga Korneva, a junior researcher at the laboratory, ultra-fast cooling prevents the degradation of the base material's properties during implantation. Moreover, this effect itself can change the microstructure of steel due to the super-quenching mechanism—even without additional alloying with ions.
During laboratory tests, the wear resistance of AISI 420 steel increased fiftyfold. This opens up prospects for the application of the technology in the production of tools, friction units, and critical equipment parts operating under high loads.
