SURFACE HARDENING OF METALS BY ULTRASONICALLY ACCELERATED SMALL METALBALLS

The influence of the technological parameters on the surface hardening of metals by ultrasonically accelerated small balls was evaluated. It was demonstrated that the impact force grows with the increase of the amplitude and frequency of ultrasonic vibrations, density of material and size of balls and decreases with the increase of the distance bet ween irradiator and sample. The experimental results showed that the u ltrasonic impact treatment of steel might be used in industrial scale. The general advantages of the ultrasonic treatment are very short tre atment time and the ability to treat all shapes with a simple apparatu s. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.