TITLE:
Modification in Cu-Zn Alloy Properties by 2 MeV Ni+ Ions Irradiation
AUTHORS:
Shahbaz Ahmad, Shazia Bashir, Daniel Yousaf, Mian Ahsan Ali
KEYWORDS:
Ion Irradiation, Mechanical Properties, Ion Fluence, Frenkel Defects, Crystallite Size
JOURNAL NAME:
Materials Sciences and Applications,
Vol.9 No.3,
March
28,
2018
ABSTRACT: We investigate the effects of 2 MeV Ni+ ion beam irradiation with various fluence ranging from 15 × 1011 to 60 × 1014 ions/cm2 on the surface, structural and mechanical properties of Cu-Zn alloy. The modification in target properties after irradiation is confirmed by using various characterization techniques viz. SEM, XRD, UTM and Vickers micro-hardness tester. The SEM results illustrate the formation of nano sized craters with different diameters. Their average diameter decreases from 190 nm to 90 nm by increasing ion fluence. The XRD analysis of irradiated targets reveals that Ni+ ion irradiation enhances the growth of (111) phase and its peak position varies due to ion induced tensile stresses in target matrix. Tensile and Vickers micro-hardness tests verify the mechanical properties of Cu-Zn alloy reduce monotonically upon irradiation. Various mechanisms such as generation, recombination, augmentation and annihilation of ion induced defects are responsible for this reduction. Understanding the relationships between various modified properties of irradiated target is essential for growing new advanced material by irradiation.