Experimental study on laser shock processing of brass

Laser shock processing (LSP) is a new surface treatment technique for improving hardness, wear resistance, and fatigue. In this paper, basic theories were introduced and the influence of laser pulse intensity on the laser shock processing of brass specimens was investigated by experiments. Microhardness, roughness, microstructure, wear resistance, friction coefficient evolution, and residual stress were examined with different laser pulse intensities of LSP. The results show that the microhardness increases after LSP treatment, and the higher the pulse intensity, the higher the microhardness. Though the microstructure shows no remarkable change, the roughness and wear resistance increase with the increase in pulse density. Laser shock processing has great potential as a means to improve the mechanical properties of components.