METHOD OF TREATMENT OF SURFACES OF ARTICLES BY ARC DISCHARGE IN VACUUM Russian patent published in 2000 - IPC

FIELD: cleaning and treatment of parts in vacuum; removal of scale, oxide films, technological dirt and casting defects; hardening or tempering of near-surface layer of part being treated, removal of burns, etc. SUBSTANCE: method includes excitation of discharge and treatment of surface by cathode spots of arc; process is performed on hot blank before forging, rolling or performing other operations. Excitation of arc discharge is performed in mode of rising section of volt-ampere characteristic. Graphite is used as anode. External magnetic field is applied to electric arc in such way that its vector is approximately parallel to vector of electric field of arc and vector of gradient of magnetic induction is approximately parallel to surface being treated. Motion of cathode spots is performed by changing the magnitude and direction of vector of magnetic induction gradient; intensity of treatment of surface including fusion of casting defects is controlled through change of discharge current of arc. EFFECT: improved of surfaces. 5 dwg