Wear Resistance of the Surface Layers in Silumin after Electron-Beam Treatment

The hardness and the tribological properties of the AK10M2N silumin subjected to irradiation by a high-energy pulsed electron beam with an energy density of 35 J/cm(2) are studied. As compared to the as-cast state, the microhardness of the surface layers increases by approximate to 20% (up to approximate to 1.2 GPa), the friction coefficient decreases by a factor of approximate to 1.3 (down to 0.42), and the wear parameter decreases by a factor of approximate to 6.6 (down to 0.74 x 10(-3) mm(3)/(N m)). These changes are shown to be caused by the dissociation of silicon and intermetallic compounds in the surface layer during irradiation by a high-energy pulsed electron beam.