Wear Resistance of the Surface Layers in Silumin after Electron-Beam Treatment

—The hardness and the tribological properties of the AK10M2N silumin subjected to irradiation by a high-energy pulsed electron beam with an energy density of 35 J/cm² are studied. As compared to the as-cast state, the microhardness of the surface layers increases by ≈20% (up to ≈1.2 GPa), the friction coefficient decreases by a factor of ≈1.3 (down to 0.42), and the wear parameter decreases by a factor of ≈6.6 (down to 0.74 × 10^–3 mm³/(N m)). These changes are shown to be caused by the dissociation of silicon and intermetallic compounds in the surface layer during irradiation by a high-energy pulsed electron beam.