Pulse heat treatment of material surface by high-current electron beam

Results of the studies of high-current pulsed electron beam effect on a material surface are presented. An electron beam was produced in an accelerator with a multi-point explosion-emission cathode (60–180 kV, 4–40μsec, 10–60J/cm²). Modification of the surface properties was observed at the irradiation energy density, exceeding 22–25J/cm²) and the depth of a modified layer in 10–50μm range. The hardness of a treated surface layer exceeded that of the base by a factor 2–5. The use of HEB treatment to obtain other possible surface modifications is also discussed.