The results of an investigation of the process of laser-induced hardening of zirconium (E110 alloy) are reported. It has been established that the laser treatment in air results in the formation of a uniformly distributed microrelief characterized by the presence of microparticles with various configurations. Overlap of the laser beam trajectories leads to the formation of a layered structure. The composition of laser-modified surface depends on the regime of processing and mostly comprises a mixture of zirconium oxides and nitrides. In addition, the formation of diffuse transition zones between the bulk metal and modified surface layer is established. The dependence of the thickness of the hardened layer on the regime of pulsed laser action is determined.

The results of studying the effect of air-thermal oxidation on the elemental and phase compositions, morphology and microhardness of the modified surface of the zirconium alloy E-110 are presented. It was established that during the processing of samples, coatings were formed on the surface, the elemental and phase compositions of which mainly depended on the temperature conditions of oxidation. The morphology and thickness were significantly affected by the temperature of the reaction medium and the duration of the treatment. It was found that the oxidation temperature of 400 ° C and 500 ° C with a duration of 1, 2 and 3 hours are the most appropriate modes for the formation of mechanically strong coatings.