Influence of Multiple Laser Shock Peening without Coating on Ti-6Al-4V Alloy for Aircraft Applications

The current research proposes multiple laser shock peening without coating (LSPwC) process for aircraft titanium Ti-6Al-4V alloy using low energy Nd: YAG laser. The low energy of 350 mJ in at the fundamental wavelength 1064 nm is utilized for the laser surface modification process. The compressive residual stress measurements are accomplished according to X-ray diffraction sin2Ψ method. The surface morphology and surface roughness profiles were characterized using atomic force microscope and roughness profilometer respectively. The surface microstructure is examined by scanning electron and optical microscopes. Further, the mechanical properties of laser shock depth hardened layers were systematically analyzed through Vickers microhardness tester.