Shot peening behavior and surface micro-/nano-mechanical property evolution of medium-Mn steel under Al-to-Si substitution

Meng, S, Zhou, Y, Zhu, H, Shen, Z, Wang, Y, Shi, Z, Guo, W, Wang, D, Yang, Q, Ren, X ORCID: 0000-0001-6132-1228 and Xing, X (2025) Shot peening behavior and surface micro-/nano-mechanical property evolution of medium-Mn steel under Al-to-Si substitution. Surface and Coatings Technology, 519. p. 132928. ISSN 0257-8972

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Abstract

The present study investigates the influence of Al[sbnd]Si substitution on the shot peening (SP) response of medium-Mn steels. A series of alloys with different Al/Si ratios were designed while maintaining a nearly constant total (Al + Si) content of approximately 2.5 wt%. The aim was to clarify how compositional variations modify the deformation behavior, microstructural evolution, and surface strengthening characteristics during SP. The results indicate that the Al[sbnd]Si ratio plays a crucial role in determining the deformation mode and surface response of medium-Mn steels. With increasing Si content, the deformation behavior gradually changes from dislocation slip–dominated to twinning- and transformation-assisted modes, resulting in enhanced grain refinement and surface hardening. Si-rich alloys exhibited a more refined surface microstructure, deeper plastically affected layer, and higher compressive residual stress compared with the Al-rich alloy. The surface hardness of all alloys significantly increased after SP, and the hardening depth was closely related to the alloy composition. These findings suggest that the substitution of Al and Si influences the SP-induced strengthening behavior primarily through composition-dependent deformation mechanisms. This work provides experimental evidence for understanding the relationship between alloy chemistry, microstructural evolution, and surface strengthening, offering guidance for the compositional design and surface optimization of high-performance medium-Mn steels.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	40 Engineering; 4016 Materials Engineering; 0204 Condensed Matter Physics; 0306 Physical Chemistry (incl. Structural); 0912 Materials Engineering; Applied Physics; 4016 Materials engineering; 5104 Condensed matter physics
Subjects:	T Technology > T Technology (General) T Technology > TA Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General)
Divisions:	Engineering
Publisher:	Elsevier
Date of acceptance:	9 November 2025
Date Deposited:	15 Dec 2025 13:39
Last Modified:	15 Dec 2025 13:39
DOI or ID number:	10.1016/j.surfcoat.2025.132928
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/27713

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