Scientists from the Russian city of Tomsk have devised a method that increases the service life of steel by 50 times, by modifying steel layers with a thickness ranging from one micrometer to tens of micrometers.
This method improves the mechanical and physical properties of steel, according to TASS news agency, citing the Russian Ministry of Education and Science.
The ministry's statement read: "The scientific team of the High-Density Ion Implantation Laboratory at Tomsk Polytechnic University has developed a new method for treating steel using high-density pulses of metal and gas ions. Laboratory experiments have shown that this approach can modify the structure and properties of the material, improving its corrosion resistance and durability."
The method focuses on forming surface layers with thicknesses ranging from one micrometer to tens of micrometers, and combines several processes: high-intensity pulsed ion implantation, radioactively stimulated diffusion, rapid beam heating of the surface, and then very rapid cooling of the surface layer thanks to heat transfer into the material.
Olga Korneva, who participated in the study, said: "Very rapid cooling helps prevent the deterioration of the core material's properties during implantation, and also affects the microstructure and operational properties of the material thanks to the super-hardening effect."
The study aims to determine the coefficient of friction, the mechanisms of wear, and the behavior of surfaces in contact, as well as to analyze the causes of damage and the nature of the wear. Ultimately, the scientists aim to develop an industrially applicable technology to enhance wear resistance and durability, and to create improved parts and machines.
Steel is the primary structural material used in manufacturing equipment and machinery parts across all industrial sectors, and ion implantation is a key method for enhancing its corrosion resistance, although its application has been limited in the past due to the relatively shallow depth of the modified layer.
The research findings were published in The European Physical Journal Plus, with support from the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education.
