F. Yu, P. B. Nagy, University of Cincinniti, Cincinnati, OH; M. P. Blodgett, US Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH

Summary:

Recently, it has been shown that shot-peened nickel-base superalloys exhibit an approximately 1% increase in apparent eddy current conductivity at high inspection frequencies, which can be exploited for nondestructive subsurface residual stress assessment. Unfortunately, microstructural inhomogeneity in certain as-forged and precipitation hardened nickel-base superalloys, like Waspaloy, can lead to significantly larger electrical conductivity variations of as much as 4-6%. This intrinsic conductivity variation adversely affects the accuracy of residual stress evaluation in shot-peened and subsequently thermal-relaxed specimens, but does not completely prevent it. Experimental results are presented to demonstrate that the conductivity variation resulting from volumetric inhomogeneities in as-forged engine alloys do not display significant frequency dependence. This characteristic independence of frequency can be exploited to distinguish these inhomogeneities from near-surface residual stress and cold work effects caused by surface treatment, which, in contrast, are strongly frequency-dependent.