Effect of gallium on the surface deformation of aluminum on microscratching in an electrochemical cell

The initial surface damage in metals, as well as effects due to the influen ce of the active medium on the mechanical properties of metallic materials, is studied by the microscratching method, in combination with electrochemi cal deposition of the active component of the medium on the sample surface. This permits modeling of the influence of active liquid metals on the mech anical properties of surface layers of solids, in the absence of liquid-met al phase at room temperature. The plasticization of the aluminum surface ob served experimentally, which is due to the deposition of gallium ions, is a nalyzed on the basis of microscopic (dislocational) and macroscopic (finite -element) approaches.