The effect of pre- and postimplantation of carbon on the phase formation and surface mechanical properties of an ion beam mixed Fe-Ti multilayered system

The phase formation and its impact on the surface mechanical properties was studied in the Fe-Ti multilayered structures which were implanted with carbon either before or after ion beam mixing with Kr ions. Carbon implantation prior to the ion beam mixing was found to favor the formation of titanium carbide, whereas the amount of amorphous FeTiC phase was higher in the sample which was first ion beam mixed. This was explained to be consistent with a simple criterion of thermodynamical stability. The observed changes in the microstructure were not reflected by the nonoindentation hardness measurements and friction but correlated with the type of damage on the wear track.