Characterization of scraps produced by the industrial laser cutting of steels

We have studied some properties relevant for technological applications of the debris produced by industrial laser cutting of steels. The investigated material is made up of spheroidal particles, hollow and solid, which get oxidized over the cutting process, and that we have reduced afterwards in a H₂ atmosphere. The samples, before and after the reduction, were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, specific surface area and Mössbauer spectroscopy. We have found that, after the reduction treatment, the shape remains unchanged but that the chemical composition and the physical properties of the external and internal surface structures are modified. In particular, the specific surface area of the material increased by one order of magnitude.