In situ monitoring the pulse CO2 laser interaction with 316-L stainless steel using acoustical signals and plasma analysis

In most laser material processing, material removal by different mechanisms is involved. Here, application of acoustic signals with thermoelastic (below threshold) and breakdown origin (above threshold) together with plasma plume analysis as a simple monitoring system of interaction process is suggested. In this research the interaction of pulse CO2 laser with 200 ns duration and maximum energy of 1.3 J operating at 1 Hz with austenitic stainless steel (316-L) is reported. The results showed that the non-linear point of the curve can serve as a useful indicator of melting fluence threshold (in this case ≈830 J cm−2) with corresponding temperature calculated using plasma plume analysis. Higher acoustic amplitudes and larger plasma plume volume indicates more intense interaction. Also, analysis showed that a phase explosion process with material removal (ejecta) in the form of non-adiabatic (i.e., dt ≫ α−1) is at play after laser pulse is ended. Also, SEM photographs show different surface quality medication at different laser intensities, which indicates the importance of recoil momentum pressure and possibly electrons and ions densities in heat transfer. Finally, electrochemical test indicate an improved corrosion resistance for laser treated samples compared to untreated ones.