Investigation of the effect of laser treatment on the longitudinal and transverse velocity of an aluminum alloy

Abstract

The velocities of longitudinal and transverse waves for aluminum alloy 2024-T62 shocked by a high-power Nd: Glass laser are investigated by a laser ultrasonics method. The results show that the velocity of the longitudinal wave measured after the laser-shock processing increases at the center and decreases at the edge of the laser-shocked area (LSA). The maximum relative increase is 28% and the maximum decrease up to 10%, when compared with that measured before the alloy was shocked by laser processing. The velocity of the transverse wave decreases at any position within LSA, the maximum relative decrease being 13%. The decrease at the edge of LSA is larger than that at the center.