Hybrid magneto-plasma accelerator use for the deposition of coatings

Experimental results on high-velocity acceleration of plasma in a coaxial magneto-plasma accelerator are presented. With a barrel length of 300 mm, the front part of the discharge-plasma structure was accelerated by a current pulse of up to 150 kA to a velocity of 3-5 km/s at atmospheric pressure. For one cycle the plasma mass is obtained up to 10 g. The coatings of copper and alloy steel of high quality are obtained with a thickness of 100 /spl mu/m on the metallic substrates with the formation of a boundary layer of the mutual mixture up to 50 /spl mu/m. In the accelerator with the titanium electrodes a dynamic synthesis of titanium carbide is achieved. TiC+Ti (2:1) composite coating with a thickness of 1 mm is deposited onto a steel substrate. Superdeep penetration of the beam substance to a depth of 350 /spl mu/m with the channels diameter of penetration of /spl sim/1 /spl mu/m as well as a severe change of the steel microstructure and the increase of microhardness of substrate by an augmentation established. Experimental data, which allows one to explain the superdeep penetration with a cumulation classical theory and cumulative streams penetration, are obtained.