Multi-cycling nanoindentation in additively manufactured Inconel 625 before and after laser peening

In this research, a room temperature multicycle nanoindentation technique was implemented to evaluate the effects of the laser peening (LP) process on the surface mechanical behavior of additively manufactured (AM) Inconel 625. Repetitive deformation was introduced by loading-unloading during an instrumented nanoindentation test on the as-built (No LP), 1-layer, and 4-layer laser peened (1LP and 4LP) conditions. It was observed that laser-peened specimens had a significantly higher resistance to penetration of the indenter and lower permanent deformation. This is attributed to the pre-existing dislocation density induced by LP in the material which affects the dislocation interactions during the cyclic indentation. Moreover, high levels of compressive stresses, which are greater in the 4LP specimen than the 1LP specimen, lead to more effective improvement of surface fatigue properties. The transition of the material response from elastic-plastic to almost purely elastic in 4LP specimens was initiated much earlier than it did in the No LP, and 1LP specimens. In addition to the surface fatigue properties, hardness and elastic modulus were also evaluated and compared.