Laser shock processing (LSP) is increasingly applied as an effective technology for the improvement of metallic materials mechanical properties in different types of components as a means of enhancement of their mechanical behavior. As reported in the literature, a main effect resulting from the application of the LSP technique consists on the generation of relatively deep compression residual stresses field into metallic alloy pieces allowing the life improvement of the treated specimens against wear, crack growth and stress corrosion cracking. Additional results accomplished by the authors in the line of practical development of the LSP technique at an experimental level (aiming its integral assessment from an interrelated theoretical and experimental point of view) are presented in this paper. Concretely, experimental results on the residual stress profiles and associated mechanical properties modification successfully reached in typical materials under different LSP irradiation conditions are presented along with a practical correlated analysis on the protective character of the residual stress profiles obtained under different irradiation strategies. In this case, the specific behavior of a widely used material in high reliability components (especially in nuclear and biomedical applications) as AISI 316L is analyzed, the effect of possible "in-service" thermal conditions on the relaxation of the LSP effects being specifically characterized.
Keywords:Laser Shock Processing, Residual Stresses, Mechanical Behaviour, Fatigue Life Enhancement, Thermal Stability and Relaxation.
INTRODUCTIONLaser shock processing (LSP) is increasingly applied as an effective technology for the improvement of metallic materials mechanical properties in different types of components as a means of enhancement of their corrosion and fatigue life behavior. Specially wear resistance, stress corrosion cracking susceptibility and crack propagation rate seem to be material properties specially improved by LSP treatments [1][2][3][4].Although the technique was initially developed for the improvement of the fatigue cracking resistance of materials used in the aeronautic applications (specifically Aluminum alloys), Titanium alloys and different types of stainless steels are being extensively investigated in the frame of different areas of application, especially the aerospatial sector itself but also in the nuclear, automotive and biomedical sectors on the basis of the commercial availability of new powerful laser sources able to provide intensities exceeding the GW/cm 2 level [5][6][7][8][9][10].In this paper, the special case of stainless steels and, more particularly, AISI 316L, is considered in view of the important number of applications of this material both in the energy sector (derived from its excellent corrosion resistant properties compatible with very convenient hot deformation (creep) resistance and good electron beam and laser weldability [11][12]) and its very promising applicability in the biomedical sector as structu...