Application of nanoindentation technique to test surface hardness and residual stress of NiTi alloy after femtosecond laser shock peening

Laser shock peening is a new and important surface treatment technique that can enhance the mechanical properties of metal materials. Normally, the nanosecond laser with pulse-width between 5 ns and 20 ns is used to induce a high-pressure shock wave that can generate plastic deformation in the top layer of metals. The femtosecond laser shock peening in the air has been studied recently, which can induce higher pressure shock wave than that of traditional nanosecond laser shock peening in a very short time. The NiTi alloy is processed by femtosecond laser shock peening, then a nanoindentation device is used to measure its surface hardness and residual stress. The hardness results of NiTi alloy before and after treatment show that the femtosecond laser shock peening can increase the hardness of NiTi alloy, which also shows that the femtosecond laser can be used to perform laser shock peening on NiTi alloy without coating.