HiLASE Centre hosted many Open Access experiments throughout 2023. One of those, taking place in August, was in collaboration with the UK-based Manufacturing Technology Centre.
Its representative Pratik Shukla conducted a study on the topic of Reducing Hydrogen Embrittlement in Metals Using Laser Shock Peening in collaboration with the LSP team of our Industrial Laser Applications (ILA) department. The experiment was devised to tackle the issue of cracking in a range of materials (copper, tool steel, aluminium, mild steel, and ceramics) in hydrogen-exposed conditions. Laser Shock Peening was found to be an effective strengthening mechanism, inducing compressive stresses which encourage grain refinement and shield the metal from inter-granular cracking.
Open Access gives external institutions the opportunity to run experiments on the HiLASE Centre research infrastructure. Since 2020, researchers from the EU and specific non-EU countries can apply for co-funding of these experiments via Laserlab Europe.
More information on Open Access and the current call for proposals can be found HERE.
