Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 February 2011
A review is presented of the use of Mössbauer spectroscopy to study the mechanisms responsible for the improvements in wear resistance in ferrous alloys implanted with either light or heavy ions. The phases present in the near surface layers of iron and steel samples implanted with either nitrogen, carbon or tin ions are identified using Conversion Electron Mössbauer Scattering (CEMS) spectra. Samples of wear debris from tin-implanted iron wear discs are analysed in Mössbauer absorption measurements.