Influence of UNSM Treatment Temperature on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Inconel 600

Inconel 600 (UNS N06600) is a nickel-based alloy with superior corrosion resistance and high temperature endurance, which determines its widespread applications in aeronautical, aerospace, marine and nuclear industries. Particularly, a number of nuclear components used Inconel 600 as their structure materials due to their high corrosion resistance, high temperature endurance and excellent fabricant characteristics. In this study, an ultrasonic nanocrystal surface modification (UNSM) technique was applied to Inconel 600 at various temperatures. The influence of UNSM treatment temperature on the microstructure and mechanical properties including compressive residual stress of Inconel 600 was investigated systematically. The results of this paper are expected to provide sufficient knowledge for substantially improving stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of current light water reactor (LWR) and future nuclear reactor components, which are of great importance for cost savings and health/safety of nuclear energy systems.