Surface structure, nanocrystallite and defects in (ZrTi)CN nanocomposite irradiated by electron beam

Abstract

Effect of 2 MeV electron beam at the current density 0.09 nA/cm2 on surface structure, nanocrystallite size of (ZrTi)CN nanocomposite coating on steel was investigated at Scanning Electron and Atomic Force microscopes, and also X-ray diffractometer. Using the Rietveld method, two structure phases were indentified in the pristine samples: (ZrTi)(CN)-cubic (space group Fm-3m) and TiC — trigonal (sp.gr.R-3m). Electron beam irradiation to the fluency of [Formula: see text] electron/cm2 resulted in the phase transition of TiC from trigonal (sp.gr.R-3m) to cubic structure (sp.gr.Fm-3m). Besides, nanocrystallite size and shape have changed after the fluency [Formula: see text] electron/cm2. The lattice parameters have increased up to [Formula: see text] electron/cm2 fluence and the nanorcrystallite size of nanocomposite was enlarged 26%, which was attributed to generation of defects.