Abstract
Cu alloy is widely used for marine applications due to its excellent ductility and high resistance for corrosion as wells as cavitation. However, long term exposure of the material to marine environments may result in damages caused by cavitation and corrosion. Water cavitation peening has been introduced in order to improve resistance of Cu alloy to corrosion and cavitation. The technology induces compressive residual stress onto the surface, and thus enhances the fatigue strength and life. In this study, the characteristics of the material were investigated by using water cavitaiton peening technique, and results showed that 2 minutes of water cavitation peening indicated the considerable improvement in hardness. On the other hand, over 10 minutes of water cavitation peening accelerated damages to the surface. In the case of ALBC3, water cavitation peening in the range of 2 to 10 minutes has shown the excellent durability and corrosion resistance while minimizing surface damages.