The evolution of a Ti film/silumin substrate system irradiated by a pulse electron beam

The electron beam treatment of metal surfaces involves the use of intense pulsed electron beams to improve a wide range of surface properties of different materials. Research has shown that it can lead to a marked reduction in surface roughness and porosity and a marked increase in tensile strength and ductility. Processed samples also have improved hardness, wear resistance, and anti-corrosion properties, which emphasizes the effectiveness of electron beam surface treatment in materials science.
This work studies the irradiation of a Ti film/silumin substrate system showing it leads to the transformation of both the Ti film and the silumin layer with different energy densities, which has a different effect on the structure and composition. When treated with an electron beam at an energy density of 30 J/cm$^2$, the Ti film and the silumin layer undergo complete dissolution, resulting in a complex submicron crystalline structure characterized by the presence of silicon particles distributed along grain boundaries. Irradiation with an electron beam of the Ti film/silumin substrate system at different energy densities (10, 15, 30 J/cm$^2$) leads to a change in surface morphology, crystallite size, and phase composition, and an increase in energy density leads to the melting of the Ti film and the silumin layer.