Studies of stainless steel exposed to sandblasting

The influence of sandblasting on surface and subsurface of stainless steel is investigated using variable energy positron beam (VEP), positron annihilation spectroscopy (PAS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Samples of stainless steel were blasted using 110 μm particles of Al₂O₃ under different pressure and time duration. In the case of sandblasting for 90 s, the reduction of positron diffusion length depending on the applied pressure was observed. Sandblasting during 30 s leads only to the reduction of positron diffusion length to about 60 nm for all samples. Positron lifetimes close to 170 ps measured using positrons emitted directly from the source point to the presence of vacancies on the dislocation lines. SEM and AFM images show that surface roughness depends rather on pressure of sandblasting than time of exposition.