Influence of Shot Peening on Fatigue Properties in Ultra-High Strength Steels

The characteristics of compressive residual stress fields induced by shot peening in 40CrNi2Si2MoVA, 16Co14Ni10Cr2Mo, 30CrMnSiNi2A and 0Cr13Ni8Mo2Al ultra-high strength steels, which are used widely in aeronautical industry were investigated, and the change of surface integrity including surface residual stress, surface roughness as well as its effects on fatigue properties were investigated. The results show that the fatigue limits of ultra-high strength steels can be increased by shot peening because the surface integrity can be ameliorated by shot peening, and that for a given steel there is a appropriate peening intensity under which the fatigue property of this steel is optimum. Finally, a judgement for the optimization condition of shot peening process is proposed based on a theory of micro-meso processes of fatigue crack initiation and experimental results. The technique should be considered to be optimum, if the fatigue crack source of shot peened specimen has been moved to the internal matrix metal region beneath the hardened layer; and its apparent fatigue limit has been improved and got to a value, which is near to that predicted according to the concept of surface/internal fatigue limit.