Underwater and water-assisted laser processing: Part 1—general features, steam cleaning and shock processing

Water is always present in laser processing in air: as vapor, condensate or adsorbate. Water is the working environment in underwater processing—but it can also be added on purpose to gain better results: to avoid redeposition of debris, to cool the material, to increase plasma pressure or to conduct light. Water can also act as a chemical reagent. The first part of the article will review the advantages and disadvantages of laser processing in the presence of water, light transmission by water, and the two most mature methods of water-assisted laser processing: steam cleaning and shock processing.