Evaluation of thermal diffusivity of laser shock peened alloy D9

Laser shock peening introduces compressive residual stresses on material surfaces and alters their microstructure and properties, the extent of which is dictated by the peening parameters. Among all surface modification processes, LSP is known to introduce higher depth of deformation and yield thermally stable structure. Alloy D9 is used as a clad in fast breeder reactors in 20% cold worked condition for better void swelling resistance. To understand how defects introduced during deformation affect the bulk thermal properties, Alloy D9 was laser shock peened and its temperature dependent thermal diffusivity was measured using laser flash technique. (author)