Author(s)

Shahbaz Ahmad^1,2*, Shazia Bashir², Daniel Yousaf², Mian Ahsan Ali²

¹Department of Physics, University of Sargodha, Lahore Campus, Lahore, Pakistan.
²Center for Advanced Studies in Physics, Government College University, Lahore, Pakistan.

We investigate the effects of 2 MeV Ni+ ion beam irradiation with various fluence ranging from 15 × 10¹¹ to 60 × 10¹⁴ ions/cm² on the surface, structural and mechanical properties of Cu-Zn alloy. The modification in target properties after irradiation is confirmed by using various characterization techniques viz. SEM, XRD, UTM and Vickers micro-hardness tester. The SEM results illustrate the formation of nano sized craters with different diameters. Their average diameter decreases from 190 nm to 90 nm by increasing ion fluence. The XRD analysis of irradiated targets reveals that Ni+ ion irradiation enhances the growth of (111) phase and its peak position varies due to ion induced tensile stresses in target matrix. Tensile and Vickers micro-hardness tests verify the mechanical properties of Cu-Zn alloy reduce monotonically upon irradiation. Various mechanisms such as generation, recombination, augmentation and annihilation of ion induced defects are responsible for this reduction. Understanding the relationships between various modified properties of irradiated target is essential for growing new advanced material by irradiation.

Ion Irradiation, Mechanical Properties, Ion Fluence, Frenkel Defects, Crystallite Size

Ahmad, S. , Bashir, S. , Yousaf, D. and Ali, M. (2018) Modification in Cu-Zn Alloy Properties by 2 MeV Ni⁺ Ions Irradiation. Materials Sciences and Applications, 9, 330-344. doi: 10.4236/msa.2018.93022.