The influence of an ultrafine-grained tungsten structure with an average grain size of 300 nm on the formation of blisters on the surface under high-fluence irradiation by 30-keV He+ ions has been studied. Fine-grained tungsten has been used for comparative studies. The microstructure and surface morphology of the samples have been investigated.

The effect of high-fluence 30 keV helium ion irradiation with the fluence from 1018 to 3 × 1018 cm–2 in the temperature range from room temperature to 600°C on the morphology and surface structure of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite UPV-1T and fine-grained polycrystalline graphite MPG-8 has been studied experimentally. Ion-induced morphological elements complementing those previously established at low irradiation fluences ( 1017 cm–2) have been identified. Irradiation of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite at high fluences results in delaminations, which manifest themselves as graphite flakes that are bent, twisted, and have whisker-like structures. Irradiation of fine-grained graphite does not significantly change its microstructure compared to highly oriented pyrolytic graphite.

High-pressure torsion was used to obtain bulk nanostructured Ti and nanospike surface was further obtained after irradiation with 30 keV Ar+ ions. The homogeneous nanospikes with the height of 200 nm and spacing between them of 100 nm were obtained. No alive E. coli bacteria were found on the homogeneous nanospike surface.

An experimental study was made of the effect of high-fluence (>1018 cm–2) irradiation with helium and argon ions with an energy of 30 keV on the structure and morphology of the surface of carbon materials with significantly different microstructure: highly oriented pyrolytic graphite, glassy carbon, and carbon fibers made from polyacrylonitrile and viscose.

The effect of deformation nanostructuring on ion-beam erosion of copper at high fluences of irradiation with 30 keV argon ions was experimentally studied. Deformation nanostructuring by high-pressure torsion was used to form an ultrafine grained structure with a grain size of ~0.4 µm in copper samples with an initial grain size about 2 µm. It was found that when a layer of thickness comparable to the grain size was sputtered, a steady-state cone-shaped relief was formed on the copper surface, the appearance of which did not change with increasing irradiation fluence. It has been shown that the smaller the grain size in copper, the greater the concentration and the smaller the cone height on the surface. The cone inclination angles, close to 82°, as well as the sputtering yield of 9.6 at./ion, practically does not depend on the copper grain size, the thickness of the sputtered layer, and the irradiation fluence. Calculations using the SRIM code showed that when taking into account the sputtering of atoms from the walls of the cones, the sputtering yield of a cone-shaped copper relief Үc, was 3.5 times less than the yield of a single cone, 1.2 times greater than the sputtering yield of a smooth surface, and the value of 9.25 at./ion was close to the experimentally measured one.

In order to find the ways of giving antibacterial properties to implants, a homogeneous nanospike morphology on titanium surface was formed by deformation nanostructuring followed by bombardment by high-fluence Ar+ ions. Taking account of the fact that antibacterial properties were studied on an example of E. coli bacteria, nanospikes having a height of 200 nm and spacings about 100 nm were formed. Studies using fluorescence microscopy have shown that when E. coli bacteria are applied to a smooth titanium surface, the bacteria form clusters of cells similar to the biofilm structure. In contrast to this, clusters of E. coli are not observed on the nanospike surface, i. e., it has antibacterial properties.

The effect of irradiation with hydrogen, helium, nitrogen, and neon ions with an average energy of 0.8 keV on the surface morphology under the magnetron sputtering of a high-modular carbon fiber made of polyacrylonitrile is studied experimentally. In all cases, a whisker-like relief is formed on the surface. The greatest height of whiskers is obtained under irradiation with nitrogen and neon ions, while the lowest height and a lower density of whiskers is obtained under irradiation with hydrogen ions. Comparison with the irradiation of polyacrylonitrile carbon fiber with noble gas and nitrogen ions with energies of 10–30 keV shows that the whisker-like morphology complements the variety of types of ion-induced fiber surface morphology. The results obtained are discussed within the framework of existing models of the formation of ion-induced morphological elements on the surface of graphite-like materials. It is assumed that there is a threshold in the number of radiation-induced displacements created in the surface layer, leading to the observed qualitative difference in ion-induced morphology at low and high energies. The evaluations of the displacement profiles for the case of irradiation with hydrogen ions show several-fold fewer displacements than for other ions, which correlates with the observed differences in whiskering by selected ions and whisker-growth factors observed in the experiment performed.

The results of the study of the effect of deformation nanostructuring on the formation of a cone-shaped relief on the surface of ultrafine-grained tungsten with an average grain size of 300 nm under high-fluence irradiation with argon ions with an energy of 30 keV are presented. The thermal stability of the resulting cone-shaped relief on the surface and the ultrafine-grained structure in the volume of tungsten under heating up to 1400°C has been studied. Changes in microhardness have been measured.

Carbon fibers are used in the production of automobiles, airplanes, sporting goods, energy, and biomedicine due to their unique properties such as high specific strength, high specific stiffness, low coefficient of thermal expansion, and low density. The research and development of both the technology of carbon-fiber production and their modification for a wide range of applications have been and remain relevant. The summary of accumulated experience in the modification of carbon fibers shows that ion-beam processing allows a variety of geometries of the developed surface topography, in particular, whisker-shaped and corrugated, oriented across or along the fiber, to be obtained. Such processing compares favorably with the usual whiskering of fibers both in terms of the variety of geometries of the composite interface, and by the absence of the problem of whisker-fiber adhesion. Ion-beam processing also makes it possible to modify the surface-layer structure from amorphized to ordered with different degrees of graphitization. Irradiation with chemically active ions leads to the functionalization of carbon fibers due to the formation, for example, of nitrides and carbon oxides. The choice of nitrogen ions for the technology of carbon-carbon and carbon-ceramic composites seems to be more preferable due to less stringent requirements for the temperature of the irradiated fiber. For the ion-beam corrugation of the surface of a polyacrylonitrile-based carbon fiber, only its heating above the temperature of dynamic annealing of the radiation damage is required. The use of helium ions in technological plasma-acceleration systems leads to a significant increase in the efficiency of ion-beam processing.

The effect of high-dose, with a fluence >10 18 cm –2 , irradiation with hydrogen, helium, and neon ions with energies from several hundred eV to 30 keV on the surface morphology of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) carbon fibers has been experimentally studied. Magnetron sputtering with ions of low, less than 1 keV, energies of carbon fibers leads to the formation of a whisker-like relief on the surface. Such relief at irradiation with 30 keV ions is formed at the initial stage of high dose irradiation at fluences of ~10 16 cm –2 . At higher fluences >10 18 cm –2 depending on the sort of ions, submicron longitudinal or transverse corrugations are formed. The obtained results are discussed within the framework of existing models of formation of ion-induced morphological elements on the surface of graphite-like materials.

The review focuses on the surface modification of Zr and its alloys, which is necessary to expand the applications of these kinds of materials. Data on the properties of pure zirconium and its alloys are presented. Since surface engineering and the operation of the above materials are in most cases associated with the formation of oxide coatings, information on the characteristics of ZrO2 is given. In addition, attention is paid to phasing in the zirconium–oxygen system. It is noted that the most effective method of surface engineering of Zr and its alloys is plasma electrolytic modification (PEM) technology. Specific examples and modes of modification are described, and the reached results are analyzed. The relevance, novelty and originality of the review are determined by the insufficient knowledge about a number of practical features concerning the formation of functional oxide coatings on Zr and some of its alloys by the technology of PEM. In particular, the information on the phase composition and possibilities of stabilization of the tetragonal and cubic modifications of ZrO2, the effects of the component composition of electrolyte solutions and electrolyte suspensions, and the specifics of the treatment of additive shaping and deformed materials are rather contradictory. This review aims to collect recent advances and provide insights into the trends in the modification of Zr and its alloys, promote the formulation of practical recommendations and assess the development prospects.

The possibility of increasing the durability of steel pins working against bronze bushings through plasma–electrolytic nitrocarburizing of the surface of medium carbon steel is shown. The phase composition, microhardness, morphology, and surface roughness were studied. Tribological tests were carried out under dry friction conditions according to the shaft-pad scheme. It has been established that plasma–electrolytic nitrocarburizing of the surface of medium carbon steel at a temperature of 700 °C for 5 min leads to a decrease in the friction coefficient by 2.3 times, the weight wear of steel by 24.9 times, and the wear of the bronze counterbody by 5.9 times. At the same time, the contact stiffness increases by 2.6 times. Type of wear: wear with dry friction and plastic contact. The changes in tribological characteristics are associated with the high hardness of the hardened steel surface combined with the effect of dispersed nitrides and iron carbonitrides.

The modification of carbon–carbon composite materials under high fluence (>3 × 10 18 cm –2 ) irradiation with Не + , Ne + , Ar + , and С + ions with energies of 10–30 keV at irradiation temperatures from room temperature to 600°C has been studied experimentally. It is shown that irradiation of carbon fibers with the ion energies of tens of kiloelectronvolts allows simulating radiation damage in graphites with levels of radiation damage up to several hundred displacements per atom (dpa) and simultaneously studying the effect of ion irradiation at different angles of incidence on plasma-facing materials of fusion plants. The irradiation with helium ions is appropriate for simulation of radiation damage under mechanical stress conditions which include both compression and extension. Irradiation with heavier ions of noble gases (Ne, Ar) is applicable to simulation of mechanical compression stresses. The temperature dependences of the ion-induced electron emission reflect the surface texture of graphite materials and can be used as a method of in situ control of the fiber shell texture.

The results of an experimental study of the effect of high-fluence ion irradiation on the thermal stability of the microstructure and surface relief of submicrocrystalline nickel are presented and discussed. The submicron structure of nickel is obtained during severe plastic deformation by torsion under a high pressure of 6 GPa. Irradiation with 30-keV argon ions with a dose of 3 × 1018 cm–2 is carried out. The ion irradiation of submicrocrystalline nickel is shown to lead to the formation of a cone-shaped surface morphology. This morphology is thermally stable up to a temperature of at least 500°C. Using etching with a focused 30‑keV gallium-ion beam, a surface layer 10-µm thick of irradiated submicrocrystalline nickel annealed at 500°С is studied. It is found that the ion-induced cone-shaped morphology of the surface could be preserved during annealing and block grain growth in the surface layer.

Surface structure modification of PAN based carbon fibers under 30 keV C+, N+, N-2(+) and Ar (+) ions irradiation have been experimentally studied. It has been found that the corrugation effect of the fiber surface, which is typical for high-fluence irradiation with noble gases and nitrogen ions, does not manifest itself under irradiation with carbon ions. The dependences of the formation of surface patterns on depth distributions nu(x) of the number of displacements per atom (dpa) are considered. It has been shown that during corrugation the nu decreases monotonically with a maximum at the surface. The cause of corrugation is twinning of fiber-shell crystallites, which is caused by depth-dependent radiation-induced dimensional changes and relaxation of resulting mechanical stresses. The reason for the absence of surface corrugation under C+ irradiation can be the formation of a textureless modified layer.

We present the results of studying the erosion and ion-induced electron emission of nickel samples with nano-, micro-, and coarse-crystalline structures under high-fluence irradiation with 30-keV argon ions. The nanostructure is formed using high-pressure torsion deformation. The irradiation of nanostructured nickel led to the formation of cones on its surface at a high density, 1 cone/μm2. A decrease in the size of crystal grains to 100 nm and the presence or absence of cones do not affect the coefficient of ion-induced electron emission. The coefficient of the ion-induced electron emission of nickel decreases with an increase in temperature from room temperature to 100–150°C, reaching a plateau up to 400°C. The temperature dependence of the ion-induced electron emission coefficient for nickel can be due to the phonon scattering of secondary electrons.

The results of the effect of high-fluence irradiation (fluence ~3 × 1018 cm–2) with 30-keV C+ ions at a temperature of 250°C on the structure and surface morphology of polyacrylonitrile-based carbon fibers reinforcing the composite KUP-VM are presented and discussed. Scanning electron microscopy shows that the irradiation of carbon fibers with their own ions does not lead, as in the cases of irradiation with ions of inert gases and nitrogen, to corrugation of the fiber surface. The roughness of the composite surface remains comparable to the nonirradiated sample. According to Raman-spectroscopy data, irradiation with carbon ions at temperatures above that of dynamic annealing of radiation-induced damage leads to the formation of a disordered graphite-like layer, as in the cases of irradiation with inert-gas ions. The lack of corrugation of the carbon-fiber surface under irradiation with carbon ions is associated with the lack of a gradient of radiation-induced damage in the modified layer and a texture characteristic of a carbon-fiber shell based on polyacrylonitrile.