The effect of a low-energy high-current pulsed electron beam on surface layers of porous zirconium ceramics

The effect of a high-current pulsed electron beam of low-energy electrons on surface layers of porous zirconium ceramics has been studied. It is established that electron treatment leads to melting of the surface layer and its subsequent crystallization accompanied by the formation of a microstructure differing from the initial state. It is established that porosity decreases in the treatment region, the size of grains increases, and their shape changes. Grains are found to arrange themselves in the direction to the sample surface. Their linear sizes in the transverse and longitudinal directions are, respectively, 1.4 and 7 $\mu$m on average, i.e., differ significantly. It is shown that the surface layer modified by an electron beam is characterized by elevated microhardness as compared with the initial state.