Tailoring surface properties and corrosion resistance of laser shock peened Ti6Al4V alloy by low-temperature annealing

The present study examined the effects of laser shock peening (LSP) and low-temperature annealing after LSP (LSPA) on the corrosion resistance of the Ti6Al4V alloy. The high density of dislocations in the LSP samples contributes to the rapid formation of a TiO₂ passive film during the electrochemical corrosion process. In this study, low temperature annealing was employed to further improve the corrosion resistance. The results indicated that the corrosion resistance of the LSPA samples was significantly improved compared to that of the LSP-treated samples. The LSPA treatment facilitated the pre-generation of a dense TiO₂ passive film on the alloy surface via oxidation, reduced corrosion rate, inhibited the penetration of dissolved oxygen and ions present in the sodium chloride solution into the alloy surface. Meanwhile, low-temperature annealing could rearrange and annihilate dislocations, creating subgrains and relaxing non-equilibrium grain boundaries induced by deformation. This process reduced active sites and grain boundary energy, ultimately improving the corrosion resistance of the Ti6Al4V alloy.