Laser ablation of a B4C–polysiloxane composite

Composite materials, specifically ceramic–polymer composites and metal–polymer composites have received increased interest in a number of engineering applications, from impact protection, microelectronics to tribology. The characteristics of Nd:YAG laser ablation of a B4C:polysiloxane mixture have been studied with the use of time-integrated spectroscopy, laser surface profiling and microscopic analysis. The removal process for a variety of pulse widths and pulse energies have been interpreted using Beer–Lambert analysis. The spectroscopy results show no discernible B4C contribution to the plasma emissions. The polymer on its own and the composite mixture produced mostly a thermal background emission spectrum. These results are supported by high speed imaging. The polymer material acts as a binder matrix in the system and is instantly dissociated by the laser irradiation. In general, the ablation of this composite material can be attributed mainly to a thermal process.