Effect on mechanical properties
Mechanical surface treatments - Effects on materials

When a part is subjected to an elastic residual stress field characterized by a tensor on which is superimposed a service stress field defined by the tensor σ_S, the actual stress to which the part will be subjected will be characterized by the tensor σ_R + σ_S (figure ). If residual stresses are added to service stresses (tensile residual stresses, for example), the part is locally overloaded due to residual stresses. If, on the other hand, residual compressive stresses are introduced by a mechanical surface treatment operation (e.g. shot peening, roller burnishing), the part is locally unloaded and the mechanical performance of...