Effects of laser shock processing on vibration fatigue properties of K417 material

In order to study the effects of laser shock processing (LSP) on the vibration fatigue strength of nickel-based superalloy, water and aluminum foil were used for confining medium and ablation medium. K417 specimens were processed with YAG laser.With the wavelength of 532 nm, pulse duration of 10 ns, and output energy of 1.5 J. The laser was focused on a spot of φ1.6 mm. The effects of laser shock processing on the vibration fatigue strength of K417 are investigated using up-down method. The experimental results show that laser shock processing can increase K417's vibration fatigue strength from 106.5 MPa to 285.5 MPa. Fracture analysis results show that laser shock processing strengthens the metal surface and suppresses the crack's initiation and expansion. So the K417's fatigue performance is improved.