镍基单晶高温合金激光冲击强化研究进展

Nickel-based single-crystal superalloys are widely used in aviation and industrial gas turbine blades owing to their excellent mechanical properties at high temperatures. However, under extreme service conditions, these superalloys are susceptible to fatigue, wear, corrosion, and oxidation damage, which pose significant risks to engine safety. Laser shock peening (LSP) is an advanced surface-strengthening technology that utilizes laser shock waves to induce severe plastic deformation at the surface, alter the microstructure, and introduce compressive residual stress (CRS), thereby enhancing the fatigue resistance and other properties of the alloy. Some studies have investigated the laser shock strengthening of nickel-based single-crystal superalloys for turbine blades. However, there is a notable lack of a systematic summary on this topic. This study begins by examining the technical characteristics of various LSP technologies, including traditional high-energy laser shock, low-energy laser shock without an absorption layer, warm LSP (WLSP), and femtosecond LSP (Fs-LSP). The effects of these technologies on the microstructures and properties of nickel-based single-crystal superalloys are compared, highlighting their respective advantages and disadvantages. This summary revealed that the strengthening effects of various LSP technologies on single-crystal superalloys differ. Ns-LSP and WLSP can achieve millimeter-level strengthening layer depths; LSPwC reaches several hundred micrometers; and Fs-LSP results in depths of tens of micrometers. The strengthening mechanisms of the four LSP processes for nickel-based single-crystal superalloys are distinct. Ns-LSP primarily strengthens by introducing high-density crystal defects and CRS during the shock process. WLSP improves the density, uniformity, and stability of crystal defects. LSPwC not only introduces crystal defects and CRS but also generates in-situ nano-oxide particles that further impede the dislocation motion, enhancing the strengthening effect. Fs-LSP introduces both crystal defects and CRS, and simultaneously builds surface periodic micro-nanostructures, achieving a synergistic optimization of strengthening effect and functional structure. Each of these processes has unique features and provides diverse technical paths for the performance enhancement of single-crystal alloys. Despite the different depths of strengthening layers, the core mechanism of these techniques lies in the large number of crystal defects and CRS introduced by LSP. The large plastic deformation induced by Ns-LSP and WLSP may lead to recrystallization of the single-crystal superalloy during the strengthening / service process, thereby damaging its high-temperature creep performance. Therefore, further research is needed to explore how LSP technology can achieve efficient and high-quality strengthening of single-crystal superalloys, and obtain ideal single-crystal structures. When LSPwC is used to strengthen single-crystal superalloys, the laser directly acts on the alloy surface, leading to surface remelting and oxidation, which in turn reduces the surface quality. Therefore, further research is required to improve the surface quality of the LSPwC-treated single-crystal superalloys and enhance their strengthening effect. The paper also discusses the challenges and difficulties faced in the LSP of nickel-based single-crystal superalloys and offers insights into future development trends. LSP technology has already been commercially applied in other alloy fields, and research has shown that it can improve issues such as fatigue, wear, oxidation, and corrosion in nickel-based single-crystal superalloys. To further advance this technology and expand its market penetration, it should be developed in several directions: composite strengthening process innovation, upgrading of residual stress detection equipment, innovations in equipment manufacturing technology, and the establishment of intelligent processing systems.