Application of nuclear techniques for characterization of materials surfaces : own investigations examples

Different methods and techniques for material characterization are often used as a standard procedure for the determination of material properties. Nuclear techniques provide new and more detailed information about the investigated materials. The main goal of the carried out experiments was to improve surface properties including wear, corrosion and high temperature oxidation resistance. Modification processes were carried out using high intensity pulsed plasma beams - HIPPB (106-108 W.cm-2) generated in a rod plasma injector (RPI). In most solid materials such treatment leads to a fast transient melting of the surface layer of the substrate followed by rapid crystallization. Heating and cooling processes are of non-equilibrium type. Initial and modified materials were characterized using different investigation methods including nuclear techniques. Results of the used nuclear techniques such as nuclear reaction analysis (NRA), Rutherford backscattered spectroscopy (RBS) and conversion electron Mössbauer spectroscopy (CEMS) are presented in the paper.