Impact on Mechanical Properties and Microstructural Response of Nickel-Based Superalloy GH4169 Subjected to Warm Laser Shock Peening

Laser shock peening (LSP), as an innovative surface treatment technology, can effectively improve fatigue life, surface hardness, corrosion resistance, and residual compressive stress. Compared with laser shock peening, warm laser shock peening (WLSP) is a newer surface treatment technology used to improve materials’ surface performances, which takes advantage of thermal mechanical effects on stress strengthening and microstructure strengthening, resulting in a more stable distribution of residual compressive stress under the heating and cyclic loading process. In this paper, the microstructure of the GH4169 nickel superalloy processed by WLSP technology with different laser parameters was investigated. The proliferation and tangling of dislocations in GH4169 were observed, and the dislocation density increased after WLSP treatment. The influences of different treatments by LSP and WLSP on the microhardness distribution of the surface and along the cross-sectional depth were investigated. The microstructure evolution of the GH4169 alloy being shocked with WLSP was studied by TEM. The effect of temperature on the stability of the high-temperature microstructure and properties of the GH4169 alloy shocked by WLSP was investigated.