Research and application of surface heat treatment for CO ₂ continuous laser ablation of polymeric methyl methacrylate materials†

Abstract

Based on the influence of a filamentous laser Gaussian heat source and its movement speed on Polymeric Methyl Methacrylate materials (PMMA sheets), the physical model of heat transfer of PMMA materials by CO ₂ continuous laser ablation was established. Numerical simulation research on heat transfer in CO ₂ continuous laser processing of PMMA sheets was carried out by applying the heat transfer model, and experiments on continuous laser processing of PMMA sheets were conducted on the basis of the numerical simulation results. Theoretical and experimental research indicated that under relevant conditions, when the laser power was 20 W, the maximum surface temperature of PMMA sheet was approximately 520 K, which was higher than the melting temperature of the PMMA material, achieving the transformation of the PMMA material from solid to liquid phase in the laser ablation area. When the laser power was 40 W, the CO ₂ continuous laser could vaporize the PMMA material, cracking the polymer structure of polymethyl methacrylate. When the laser power was 80 W, the maximum surface temperature of the PMMA sheet was approximately 1300 K, and the processing efficiency of CO ₂ continuous laser ablation of the PMMA material was the highest. The above research provided theoretical guidance and process optimization for the research of CO ₂ continuous laser ablation of PMMA sheets. The consistency between the experimental results and the numerical simulation results demonstrated the correctness and feasibility of the theoretical model, which has certain universality and reference value for the optimization research of laser processing non-metallic materials and polymer materials.

Abstract

The research provided theoretical guidance and process optimization for CO ₂ continuous laser ablation of PMMA sheets, and had universality and reference value for the optimization research of laser processing of non-metallic and polymer materials.