An investigation on the effect of change in experimental sequence of warm laser shock peening and laser shock peening on the performance of DD6 nickel-based single-crystal superalloy

Incorporated with the benefits of dynamic strain aging (DSA) and laser shock peening (LSP), warm laser shock peening (WLSP) is able to induce a compressive residual stress (CRS) layer with high thermal stability on the near-surface of the material. It has been widely used in recent years as a new surface modification technique to prolong the fatigue life of aero-engine turbine blades. Single WLSP has limited effect on material modification, while multiple WLSP when the confining layer is quartz glass will affect the thickness and thermal stability of the CRS layer during replacement of the confining layer, absorbing layer, and cooling and heating. To address this issue, this study investigates the mechanism of the CRS response, mechanism of strengthening, mechanism of action, and change of electrochemical corrosion performance of DD6 superalloy samples to different surface treatments after double LSP, single WLSP plus single LSP and double WLSP surface treatments by changing the experimental sequence of WLSP and LSP.The experimental results show that all three surface treatments deform the sample by inducing 110 cross-slip bands on the sample surface. Also all three surface treatments strengthen the sample surface by pipeline diffusion of elements to form a dislocation network similar to the gamma/gamma ' substructure. Meanwhile, single WLSP plus single LSP treatments can effectively prevent the thermal relaxation of the previously induced CRS layer.The final induced CRS layer thickness, dislocation distribution and dislocation density are better than those of double LSP and double WLSP. Pipeline diffusion of elements can improve the electrochemical and thermal corrosion resistance of the single-crystal superalloy.