Effect of ultrasonic surface rolling process on the high temperature fretting wear behavior of Inconel 690 alloy

Abstract

Inconel 690 alloy is widely used in nuclear steam generator tubes, which always suffer from various complex fretting wear behaviors during their service period. This study aims to investigate the effect of the ultrasonic surface rolling process (USRP) at different static pressures on the sliding fretting wear behavior of Inconel 690 alloy at room and 300 °C air temperature environments. Results indicate that the grains in the alloy surface layer are refined after treatment through the USRP, improving some of its surface mechanical properties. The fretting wear resistance of Inconel 690 alloy is also enhanced, and the higher static pressure is, the more obviously the strength effect would be. In addition, the extent of the fretting wear at 300 °C is less than that at room temperature. Furthermore, the abrasive, delamination, and wear oxidation mechanisms can be observed in all test samples during the entire fretting wear process.