Strong Localized Interaction of Microplasma Discharges with Titanium

Excitation of microplasma discharges on the surfaces of titanium samples placed in a uniform pulsed plasma flow was studied experimentally. Strong localized interaction of microplasma discharges with titanium leads to the rapid melting and subsequent fast cooling of micrometer-size regions on the sample surface. Due to the multiple action of microplasma discharges, a continuous remelted layer with a thickness of up to 20 μm forms on the titanium surface. The physical, structural, and tribotechnical properties of this layer differ substantially from those before microplasma processing.