Structure and corrosion properties of stainless steel after high-power ion beam processing

In this study, the surfaces of AISI 321 stainless steel samples were irradiated with one shot of a high-power ion beam (HPIB) at pulse energy densities of 1 and 3 J/cm2. The surface morphology and structural-phase state in the near-surface layers of the treated samples were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy and electron backscatter diffraction. Additionally, the influence of HPIB processing on the resistance to intergranular corrosion was investigated using electrochemical experiments.