Effect of laser shock peening without protective coating on the surface mechanical properties of NiTi alloy

Abstract

We study the effect of laser shock peening (LSP) without protective coating on the surface mechanical property of NiTi alloy. The Vickers microhardness and wear resistance are measured to determine the mechanical property of NiTi samples treated with different LSP parameters (3 J with 10 ns and 5 J with 20 ns). From the electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analysis, it can be found that the laser shock peening does not induce obvious grain refinement in the surface region of NiTi alloy. Both compressive and tensile residual stress in the top layer are determined using the hole drilling method. The results show that the LSP treatment without a protective coating increases the roughness and enhances the surface mechanical properties of NiTi alloy.