GLAZING OF CERAMIC SURFACES WITH HIGH-INTENSITY PULSED ION-BEAMS

To produce smooth ceramic surfaces, with the aim to improve their mech anical capabilities, e.g. thermal shock, erosion and corrosion behavio ur, various beam techniques (laser, electron, ion) can be used. Each p resents favourable and less favourable aspects. If the surface of a so lid is subjected to irradiation by high-intensity pulsed ion beams (HI PIBs), the intensity of the pulse can be set sufficiently high to brin g the solid surface to a high temperature, i.e. the melting point or h igher, thus enabling glazing applications to be performed. In our expe riments, HIPIBs were generated in a rod plasma injector machine, equip ped with coaxial grid-type electrodes. Several pulses of plasma, conta ining ions from a discharge in a nitrogen atmosphere, were used to irr adiate sintered SiC substrates. The energy density of the pulses was i n the range 4-6 J cm(-2). The ion energy was estimated to be 10 keV. T he samples were analysed by Auger electron spectroscopy and scanning e lectron microscopy. An improved tribological behaviour of the treated surfaces was found without deterioration of the bulk properties.