Fresnel absorption and inverse bremsstrahlung absorption in an actual 3D keyhole during deep penetration CO2 laser welding of aluminum 6016

An actual keyhole is captured by a high-speed camera during deep penetration laser welding of aluminum alloy 6016. With the help of spectrograph, plasma spectra are acquired, and then after Abel transformation, electron temperature is calculated. Through Lorenz nonlinear fitting, the FWHM of Stark broadening lines is obtained to compute electron density. To know more about the mechanism of deep penetration laser welding, both the effect of Fresnel absorption and inverse bremsstrahlung absorption of plasma on the laser power distribution is considered. Results indicate that electron temperature is very unstable in the keyhole which has a declining tendency in the radius direction, electron density increases in the depth direction while it does not change too much along radius. Laser intensity absorbed on the keyhole wall through Fresnel absorption is hardly uniform and distributes mainly on the front wall and the bottom of keyhole wall, and inverse bremsstrahlung absorption of keyhole plasma plays a dominant role in absorbing laser power compared with Fresnel absorption.     

An experimental study on the keyhole shapes in laser deep penetration welding

In this paper, the laser spot diameter and its intensity distribution are measured with a scanning pinhole, and the keyhole shapes are observed using a specially designed setup in laser deep penetration welding of glass GG17. Based on the above experimental results, the effects of the following factors on the keyhole shapes are studied: the laser spot diameter and its intensity distribution, defocus, welding speed and inverse Bremsstrahlung absorption of the plasma.     

Investigation into absorption of the incident laser beam during Nd:YAG laser processing of metals

Laser materials processing is highly affected by the existence of surface plasma. The absorption of surface plasma during drilling alters the power intensity distribution of the incident laser beam across the irradiated spot. The present study is carried out to measure the electron number density and temperature using a Langmuir probe while a mathematical formulation is conducted for the absorption coefficients due to electron-ion, electron-neutral atom collisions, inverse Bremsstrahlung, and photoionization processes. Consequently, a computer program is developed to compute the relevant absorption coefficients as well as the overall absorption coefficient. The laser power intensity distribution before and after the plasma absorption is computed at a plane 2.6 mm above the workpiece surface. It is found that 13% of the reduction occurs in the incident laser output power intensity at this plane in the plasma.     

A three-dimensional model of multiple reflections for high-speed deep penetration laser welding based on an actual keyhole

Keyhole shapes are observed experimentally by two high-speed cameras from two perpendicular directions in high-speed laser welding of glass. From the obtained keyhole pictures, it can be seen that in high-speed deep penetration laser welding, the keyhole is not only seriously bent in the direction opposite to that of welding speed, but also elongated along the direction of the welding speed. Based on the so-obtained keyhole photograph, the keyhole profiles in both the symmetric plane and its perpendicular plane (i.e., the cross-section plane) are determined by the method of polynomial fitting. Then, under the assumption of elliptical cross-section of the keyhole at each keyhole depth, a 3D bending keyhole is reconstructed, the behavior of focused Gaussian laser beam in the keyhole is analyzed by tracing a ray of light using geometrical optics theory. Fresnel absorption and multiple reflections in the keyhole are systematically studied, and the laser intensities absorbed on the keyhole walls are calculated. In determining the distribution of laser intensity on the keyhole wall, the bending of the keyhole plays the dominant role, elongation of the keyhole plays just a minor role. Because of the bending of the keyhole, not all the keyhole wall can be irradiated directly by laser beam. The absorbed laser intensity cannot be uniformly distributed on the keyhole wall even after multiple reflections. The keyhole wall absorbs laser intensity mainly on the small area near the front keyhole wall. Recoil pressure plays a dominant role in forming a keyhole and keeping it open.     

Invited paper Observation of plasma shielding by measuring transmitted and reflected laser pulse temporal profiles

Mass ablation rate increases with laser power density following a power law dependence and a significant change occurs at 0.3 GW/cm. A reflected laser temporal profile was measured from a brass sample. When the power density is greater than 0.3 GW/cm+, the temporal profile changes. The transmitted laser-pulse temporal profile through a glass sample also was measured. When the power density is greater than 0.3 GW/cm, the later part of laser pulse becomes truncated. The power density at which the laser temporal profile changes for each case is same as the power density that the mass ablation rate coefficient changes. The ablated mass can absorb incoming laser radiation through inverse Bremsstrahlung. The mass becomes thermally ionized and opaque to the incident radiation, preventing laser light from reaching the surface. A model based on thermal evaporation and inverse Bremsstrahlung absorption was developed. Calculations show that plasma shielding occurs at approximately 0.3 GW/cm. The experiments and model suggest that the significant change observed in mass ablation rate coefficient is caused by plasma shielding. Received: 28 August 1996 / Accepted: 17 October 1996     

THOMSON SCATTERING MEASUREMENT OF LASER-HEATED PLASMAS

Experiment on characterizing the laser-heated plasmas using Thomson scattering measurement has been carried out. An incoherent Thomson scattering system with a 90° scattering angle has been established. The influence of the gas density and the pumping laser energy on the temperature of the laser-heated plasma has been examined. The results show that the temperature of the laser-heated plasma increases with the increase of pumping laser energy and the plasma density, which agrees well with the explanation of inverse Bremsstrahlung absorption.     

Characterization of X‐ray gas attenuator plasmas by optical emission and tunable laser absorption spectroscopies

X‐ray gas attenuators are used in high‐energy synchrotron beamlines as high‐pass filters to reduce the incident power on downstream optical elements. The absorption of the X‐ray beam ionizes and heats up the gas, creating plasma around the beam path and hence temperature and density gradients between the center and the walls of the attenuator vessel. The objective of this work is to demonstrate experimentally the generation of plasma by the X‐ray beam and to investigate its spatial distribution by measuring some of its parameters, simultaneously with the X‐ray power absorption. The gases used in this study were argon and krypton between 13 and 530 mbar. The distribution of the 2p excited states of both gases was measured using optical emission spectroscopy, and the density of argon metastable atoms in the 1s₅ state was deduced using tunable laser absorption spectroscopy. The amount of power absorbed was measured using calorimetry and X‐ray transmission. The results showed a plasma confined around the X‐ray beam path, its size determined mainly by the spatial dimensions of the X‐ray beam and not by the absorbed power or the gas pressure. In addition, the X‐ray absorption showed a hot central region at a temperature varying between 400 and 1100 K, depending on the incident beam power and on the gas used. The results show that the plasma generated by the X‐ray beam plays an essential role in the X‐ray absorption. Therefore, plasma processes must be taken into account in the design and modeling of gas attenuators.     

1064 nm Nd:YAG激光诱导铁等离子体特征参数的研究

利用1064 nm Nd:YAG激光器研究了激光诱导铁条等离子体的特征参数。为了减小测量误差和谱线自发辐射跃迁几率不确定性带来的计算误差,采用改进的迭代Boltzmann方法精确求解铁等离子体的电子温度为8058 K。Lorentz函数拟合Fe I 376.553 nm得到等离子体的电子数密度为8.71017 cm-3。分析表明等离子体的加热机制主要是逆轫致过程,其吸收系数是0.14 cm-1。实验数据证实激光诱导铁等离子体处于局部热力学平衡状态和光学薄状态。     

Improvement of laser keyhole formation with the assistance of arc plasma in the hybrid welding process of magnesium alloy

In the previous work, low-power laser/arc hybrid welding technique is used to weld magnesium alloy and high-quality weld joints are obtained. In order to make clear the interactions between low-power laser pulse and arc plasma, the effect of arc plasma on laser pulse is studied in this article. The result shows that the penetration of low-power laser welding with the assistance of TIG arc is more than two times deeper than that of laser welding alone and laser welding transforms from thermal-conduction mode to keyhole mode. The plasma behaviors and spectra during the welding process are studied, and the transition mechanism of laser-welding mode is analyzed in detail. It is also found that with the assistance of arc plasma, the threshold value of average power density to form keyhole welding for YAG laser is only 3.3×10⁴ W/cm², and the average peak power density is 2.6×10⁵ W/cm² in the present experiment. Moreover, the distribution of energy density during laser pulse is modulated to improve the formation and stability of laser keyholes.     

Effect of magnetic field on plasma control during CO2 laser welding

During high power CO₂ laser beam welding, the plasma above the keyhole has a shielding effect that it not only absorbs part of the laser energy but also defocuses the laser beam. As a result, the welding efficiency and the aspect ratio of the welds are influenced. In order to reduce the effect of plasma, helium as a plasma control gas has been used successfully and effectively. However, the cost of helium in Southeast Asia is extremely high and therefore the production cost is significantly increased when helium is used as a continuous bleeding plasma control gas. To search for an alternative plasma control technique, feasibility in using magnetic effect as a control tool is explored in this paper. The influences of the magnetic field strength, laser power, welding speed, field direction and shielding gas (e.g. helium and argon) on the penetration depth and the width of bead were also investigated. Experimental results indicated that the magnetic field can influence the shielding effect of the plasma without using plasma control gas. It was found that at a suitable magnetic field strength the penetration depth was increased by about 7%, but no significant difference on the width of bead was found. Moreover, it was shown that the plasma control effect can be achieved at low magnetic field strength and the penetration depth can be increased significantly under argon atmosphere.     

Radiation Emission of Fast Electrons in Collisions with “Ion‐Sphere” in Dense Plasmas

Radiative emission of fast electrons in collision with an “ion‐sphere” electron distribution in dense plasmas is under consideration. The electron structure of the ion sphere is calculated ab initio using self‐consistent solution of both bound and free electron distribution inside the sphere. Two radiation channels are included: emission of the colliding electron itself in static potential (conventional or static Bremsstrahlung) and the emission of “ion sphere” medium due to its polarization by the colliding electron (polarization Bremsstrahlung). The last one is calculated in the frame of local plasma density approximation. Interference between conventional and polarization Bremsstrahlung is taken into account. It is shown that spectral cross section of the process has characteristic features depending on plasma density and ionization stage of plasma ions. (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Effect of Laser Pulse on Arc Plasma and Magnesium Target in Low-Power Laser/Arc Hybrid Welding

Low-power laser/arc hybrid welding process of magnesium alloy shows that the weld capability of tungsten-inert-gas arc is improved under the action of laser pulses. The effect of laser pulse on arc plasma is analyzed by studying the plasma spectra, plasma shapes, and arc voltage in this paper. On the one hand, laser pulse attracts arc plasma to laser keyhole and improves the stability of arc plasma; on the other hand, laser pulse expands the arc plasma and concentrates the electric conducting route of arc plasma. All these increase the output power and energy density of arc plasma, so the welding penetration is improved. In addition, laser pulses are controlled to act on the negative wave of alternating-current arc (the target metal has negative polarity) in hybrid welding process to improve the stability of arc plasma and weld penetration.      

Characteristics of zinc behavior during laser welding of zinc “sandwich” sample

To address the problem of the zinc being easily gasified in laser welding of galvanized steel, laser welding of a zinc “sandwich” sample was performed to experimentally investigate the behavior and characteristics of the zinc inside and outside the keyhole, including the observation of the keyhole, the zinc vapor and zinc plasma, and the calculation of the electron temperature of the zinc plasma. Based on the principle of imaging amplification, the detected multi-points can be located precisely in order to study the distribution of the electron temperature of the zinc plasma. The results show that the zinc behavior played an important role in the formation of the weld-joint and the zinc plasma altered the energy distribution at the top of the keyhole whose diameter has been enlarged in the welding process. For both continuous-wave laser and pulsed laser welding of zinc “sandwich” sample, the average electron temperature of the zinc keyhole plasma was higher than that of the zinc plasma plume outside the keyhole. In the welding process, the continuous wave laser with higher input energy results in higher position of the zinc plasma with higher electron temperature above the sample surface. More zinc vapor resulted in a higher average electron temperature of the plasma.     

Optical and ultrasonic monitoring of femtosecond laser filamentation in fused silica

Millimeter-long filaments and accompanying luminous plasma and defect channels created in fused silica (FS) by single focused femtosecond laser pulses with supercritical powers were probed in situ using optical imaging and contact ultrasonic techniques. Above the threshold pulse energy E_opt = 5 μJ corresponding to a few megawatt power levels pulses collapse due to self-focusing, producing channels filled by electron-hole plasma and luminescent defects, and exhibits predominantly compressive pressure transients. Analysis of the optical and ultrasonic response versus the laser pulse energy suggests that filamentary pulse propagation in the channels occurs with considerable dissipation of about ∼10 cm⁻¹. The predominant ionization mechanism is most likely associated with avalanche ionization, while the main mechanism of optical absorption is free-carrier absorption via inverse Bremsstrahlung interaction with the polar lattice.     

Combination of laser keyhole and conduction welding: Dissimilar laser welding of niobium and Ti-6Al-4V

Pulsed Nd:YAG laser welding of pure niobium plate to titanium alloy Ti-6Al-4V sheet in butt joint is studied regarding the laser/metal interaction modes. To obtain the optimized process parameters in dissimilar welding of Ti-6Al-4V/Nb, the melting ratio of laser beam energy for each weld counterpart is evaluated experimentally. Different laser welding modes of keyhole and conduction are predicted regarding the absorbed energy from the similar laser pulses on each weld counterpart. Laser keyhole and conduction welding were observed simultaneously through direct visualization of laser interaction with dissimilar metals using High Speed Imaging (HSI) system.     

The importance of longer wavelength reheating in dual-pulse laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

Dual-pulse laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) provides improved sensitivity compared to conventional single-pulse LIBS. We used a combination of Nd: yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) and CO₂ lasers to improve the sensitivity of LIBS. Significant emission intensity enhancement is noticed for both excited neutral lines and ionic lines for dual-pulse LIBS compared to single-pulse LIBS. However, the enhancement factor is found to be dependend on the energy levels of the lines, and resonance lines provided maximum enhancement. Our results indicate that IR reheating will cause significant improvement in sensitivity, regardless of the conditions, even with an unfocused reheating beam. The improved sensitivity with a YAG-CO₂ laser combination is caused by the effective reheating of the pre-plume with a longer wavelength laser is due to efficient inverse Bremsstrahlung absorption. The role of the spot sizes, inter-pulse delay times, energies of the preheating and reheating pulses on the LIBS sensitivity improvements are discussed.     

万瓦级光纤激光焊接过程中小孔内外等离子体研究

为了进一步深入了解超高功率光纤激光深熔焊接过程中等离子体特征,试验拍摄了深熔小孔内外等离子体形态,并采用光谱仪检测分析了光纤激光致等离子体光谱信号.利用检测得到的等离子体光谱信号,计算研究了等离子体的电子温度、电子密度、电离度以及等离子体压力特征,并分析了在小孔内不同深度处及孔外等离子体的变化规律.结果表明,孔内等离子体呈现不均匀分布特征,孔外金属蒸气远多于等离子体.等离子体光谱分析显示,光纤激光致等离子体辐射出的谱线较少,即电离程度较低.进一步的计算结果同样证实了光纤激光致等离子体处于弱电离状态,但等离子体电子密度仍然处于较高水平,且等离子体瞬态压力可达到数百个大气压.     

Study of magnesium and aluminum alloys absorption coefficient during Nd:YAG laser interaction

In laser processes, the absorption factor of laser Nd:YAG by metals plays a very important role. In order to model laser welding, we need to know its evolution during the process. The theoretical calculation does not enable the prediction of the absorption factor in the case of a keyhole mode. It is difficult to predict the effect of plasma and recoil pressure on the shape of the keyhole. In this paper, an integrating sphere is used to determine the absorption factor during the laser process, which is carried out on two types of magnesium alloys (WE43 and RZ5) and an aluminum alloy. We obtain the evolution in time of the absorption factor according to different steps of the evolution of the keyhole.     

Temperature profiling during the extinction phase of laser keyhole welding using the Boubaker Polynomials Expansion Scheme (BPES)

In this study, we have used dimensional analysis to solve the heat equation inside an experimental laser welding setup. The solution for the heat equation is based on the assumption that heat energy diffuses equally on both sides of the laser beam axis and that the temperature along the axis through which the laser beam moves is constant. The amount of heat energy delivered by the laser to the keyhole is analyzed using the Boubaker polynomial expansion scheme BPES.     

Study on the periodic oscillation of plasma/vapour induced during high power fibre laser penetration welding

High power fibre lasers have recently received much attention because of their inherent advantages such as high output power, high beam quality, compact size, and flexible fibre delivery. Studies on the mechanism behind fibre laser welding systems may further promote their practical application. In this paper, high speed video observations were used to study the characteristics of the plasma/vapour induced during the bead-on-plate welding of ZL114 using a high power CW fibre laser. We also analysed the cause of the periodic oscillation of the plasma/vapour. The results revealed that plasma/vapour induced from high power lasers oscillate periodically at 450–600 μs cycles above the weld pool surface. The use of a shielding gas has little effect on the oscillation cycle. The plasma/vapour absorption is not the main reason for the periodical oscillation of plasma/vapour induced during fibre laser welding. The periodic oscillation of the plasma/vapour can be attributed to the oscillation of the keyhole.