Mitigation of Stress Corrosion Cracking Susceptibility of Machined 304L Stainless Steel Through Laser Peening

The paper describes an experimental study aimed at suppressing stress corrosion cracking susceptibility of machined 304L stainless steel specimens through laser shock peening. The study also evaluates a new approach of oblique laser shock peening to suppress stress corrosion cracking susceptibility of internal surface of type 304L stainless steel tube. The results of the study, performed with an indigenously developed 2.5 J/7 ns Nd:YAG laser, demonstrated that laser shock peening effectively suppresses chloride stress corrosion cracking susceptibility of machined surface of type 304L stainless steel. In the investigated range of incident laser power density (3.2-6.4 GW/cm2), machined specimens peened with power density of 4.5 and 6.4 GW/cm2 displayed lower stress corrosion cracking susceptibility considerably than those treated with 3.2 and 3.6 GW/cm2 in boiling magnesium chloride test. Oblique laser shock peening, performed on machined internal surface of a type 304L stainless steel tube (OD = 111 mm; ID = 101 mm), was successful in introducing residual compressive surface stresses which brought about significant suppression of its stress corrosion cracking susceptibility. The technique of oblique laser shock peening, in spite of its inherent limitations on the length of peened region being limited by tube internal diameter and the need for access from both the sides, presents a simplified approach for peening internal surface of small tubular components.