High-Performance Laser Peening for Effective Mitigation of Stress Corrosion Cracking

Stress corrosion cracking (SCC) in the Yucca Mountain waste package closure welds is believed to be the greatest threat to long-term containment. Use of stress mitigation to eliminate tensile stresses resulting from welding can prevent SCC. A laser technology with sufficient average power to achieve high throughput has been developed and commercially deployed with high peak power and sufficiently high average power to be an effective laser peening system. An appropriately applied version of this process could be applied to eliminate SCC in the waste package closure welds