Oxidation and carbidation of laser-ablated amorphized Ti particles in carbon monoxide

IR laser ablation of hexagonal titanium in vacuum leads to amorphization of ablated Ti particles and when carried out in gaseous carbon monoxide it proceeds as reactive ablation involving particles amorphization, oxidation and carbidation. The films deposited in vacuum and in the presence of CO were examined by Fourier transform infrared, Raman and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray and electron diffraction and electron microscopy. The Ti films become oxidized upon contact with air and the Ti/C/O films are composed of Ti–O, Ti–C and C–O bonds-containing structures with Ti in Ti2+–Ti4+ state and incorporating crystalline rutile and elemental carbon. The ablation in vacuum represents a new approach to amorphous titanium and it is judged that hot ablated Ti particles are modified by reactions with CO decomposition products into amorphous Ti oxycarbides which undergo rapid post-pulse amorphization.

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