ABSTRACT
The impetus and need for high-performance lightweight materials for use in a spectrum of performance-critical and non–performance-critical applications have seen noticeable growth through the years. The alloys of aluminum, magnesium, and titanium are a preferential choice for use in a plethora of applications in the industries spanning aerospace, space, ground transportation, and biomedical-related applications. The applicability of these high-performance alloys has not yet been fully utilized due on account to their poor surface properties and the hexagonal close-packed crystal structure of titanium and magnesium. To improve the surface properties of these lightweight alloys, several surface modification techniques have been tried. In this chapter, the working principle behind the surface modification technique that involves the use of high-energy beams, such as laser, ion, plasma, and electron beams, is presented and briefly discussed. The observable advantages of using a pulsed beam treatment over a continuous wave treatment are highlighted. The pulsed electron beam treatment is discussed by giving due consideration to its advantages over other pulsed beam processes. A review of the improvements in both the surface and mechanical properties of aluminum, magnesium, and titanium light metals and their alloy counterparts because of surface modification induced by the pulsed electron beam treatment is presented and discussed. Pulsed electron beam surface modification of these lightweight alloys results in the formation of a nanostructure/nanograin that enables a significant improvement in both surface properties and mechanical properties, such as oxidation resistance, corrosion, wear/friction resistance, hardness, strength, and fatigue resistance, to be achieved. It is envisioned that the pulsed electron beam–modified lightweight alloys will find preferential selection and use in emerging technologies spanning the aerospace, automotive, and biomedical domains.
