Effect of low-energy high-current electron beam on strength and structure of hard alloy on the base of tungsten and titanium carbides

摘要

The behaviour of wear resistance of cutting platesfrom T15k hard alloy after irradiation of the working surface bylow-energy (20-30keV) and high-currency (~102A/cm2) electronbeam of microseconds duration was studed. Under the regimes ofcontact surface melting of carbide and binding phases the wearresistance of the tool increases 3 times at elevated cutting rates.The effect of irradiation on the structure and phase composition ofthe material surface layer is studied. It is shown that pulsedmelting leads to the formation of subgrain structure in the bindingphase, to precipitation of nanosized particles of the carbide phasein near-boundary areas and to polymorphic transformation oftungsten carbide. Possible mechanisms of wear resistance of thetool are discussed.