Effect of void formation during MEVVA tungsten ion implantation on the microstructure and surface properties of H13 die steel

H13 die steel was implanted with tungsten using a metal vapour vacuum arc (MEVVA) ion source. When the pulsed beam current density of tungsten ions increased to 6mA\cdotcm^-2, some voids appeared in the high voltage electron microscope (HVEM) micrograph, which would disappear at an annealing temperature of 600℃. HVEM and x-ray diffraction were used for observing the phase structure of the annealed and un-annealed H13 steel after the steel was implanted. Results of wear and hardness tests indicated that whether the voids appear significantly influences the hardness and wear of H13 steel. Reasons for the formation of voids and the relation between the surface mechanical property and voids are discussed in terms of collision theory.