Effect of Surface Layer Structural-Phase Modification on Tribological and Strength Properties of a TiC–(Ni–Cr) Metal Ceramic Alloy

This paper reports TiC–(Ni–Cr) metal ceramic alloy (ratio of components 50:50) with nanoscaled components formed in the surface layer and smoothly transformed into the initial inner structure throughout the material under pulsed electron irradiation of the alloy surface. Principal changes in the surface layer are ascribed to the formation of gradient structure leading to the increase in wear resistance of the surface layer, drop of friction coefficient and improvement of specimen bending resistance when stressing on the irradiated surface side. The above changes of tribological and strength properties in the surface layer under pulsed electron irradiation become more apparent with increasing atomic mass of a plasma-forming inert gas.