Title: Laser Shock Processing: an emerging technique for the enhancement of surface properties and fatigue life of high-strength metal alloys

Authors: J.L. Ocaña; J.A. Porro; M. Morales; D. Iordachescu; M. Díaz; L. Ruiz de Lara; C. Correa; A. Gil-Santos

Addresses: Centro Láser UPM, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Campus Sur UPM. Ctra. de Valencia, km. 7.3. 28031 Madrid, Spain ' Centro Láser UPM, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Campus Sur UPM. Ctra. de Valencia, km. 7.3. 28031 Madrid, Spain ' Centro Láser UPM, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Campus Sur UPM. Ctra. de Valencia, km. 7.3. 28031 Madrid, Spain ' Centro Láser UPM, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Campus Sur UPM. Ctra. de Valencia, km. 7.3. 28031 Madrid, Spain ' Centro Láser UPM, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Campus Sur UPM. Ctra. de Valencia, km. 7.3. 28031 Madrid, Spain ' Centro Láser UPM, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Campus Sur UPM. Ctra. de Valencia, km. 7.3. 28031 Madrid, Spain ' Centro Láser UPM, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Campus Sur UPM. Ctra. de Valencia, km. 7.3. 28031 Madrid, Spain ' Centro Láser UPM, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Campus Sur UPM. Ctra. de Valencia, km. 7.3. 28031 Madrid, Spain

Abstract: Profiting by the increasing availability of laser sources delivering intensities above 10⁹ W/cm² with pulse energies in the range of several Joules and pulse widths in the range of nanoseconds, Laser Shock Processing (LSP) is being consolidated as an effective technology for the improvement of surface mechanical and corrosion resistance properties of metals and is being developed as a practical process amenable to production engineering. The main acknowledged advantage of the LSP technique includes its capability of inducing a relatively deep compression residual stresses field into metallic alloy pieces allowing an improved mechanical behaviour, explicitly, the life improvement of the treated specimens against wear, crack growth and stress corrosion cracking. In this paper, experimental results on the residual stress profiles and associated surface properties modification successfully reached in typical materials (specifically steels and Aluminium (Al) and Titanium (Ti) alloys) under different LSP irradiation conditions are presented.

Keywords: laser shock processing; numerical simulation; experimental characterisation; residual stresses; mechanical behaviour; fatigue life; surface properties; high strength metal alloys; corrosion resistance; wear; crack growth; stress corrosion cracking; steel; aluminium alloys; titanium alloys.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMMP.2013.052645

International Journal of Microstructure and Materials Properties, 2013 Vol.8 No.1/2, pp.38 - 52

Published online: 30 Apr 2013 *

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