Effects of laser peening on stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of ANSI 304 austenitic stainless steel

The effects of massive laser peening (LP) impacts on surface residual stress, micro-structure, and stress corrosion cracking (SCC) behaviour of U-bend samples were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) technology, optical microscope (OM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) observations. Two important factors to influence SCC initiation, residual stress and grain refinement, were discussed in detail by using different types of treatment processes. Results showed massive LP impacts can induce both deep compressive residual stress and refined grains in the surface layer of ANSI 304 stainless steel, and the corrosion mechanism of massive LP impacts on SCC was also analysed and revealed.

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► LSP can generate high-level compressive residual stresses and refine original grains.
► Massive LSP impacts can effectively prevent the SCC initiation of the U-bend sample.
► Mechanism of massive LSP impacts on SCC was also entirely revealed.