Effect of a Shot Peening Pre Treatment on the Fatigue Behaviour of Hard Chromium on Electroless Nickel Interlayer Coated AISI 4340 Aeronautical Steel

Multiple layer systems of coatings are considered to have larger resistance to crack propagation in comparison to coatings with simple layer. With regard to fatigue, it is possible to improve the resistance of a component with the application of shot peening treatment, whose compressive residual stresses delay or eliminate the initiation and propagation of fatigue cracks. The aim of this study is to analyse the effects on rotating bending fatigue behaviour of hard chromium ¾ electroless nickel multilayer system coated AISI 4340 high strength steel submitted to shot peening pre treatment. Results indicated that the interaction between the shot peening process with the multilayer system was not satisfactory, resulting in intense delamination. Fracture surface analysis by SEM was performed toward to identify the fatigue crack origin, as well as the coating-substrate delamination process.