Morphology modelling and validation in nanosecond pulsed laser ablation of metallic materials

Nanosecond pulsed lasers are widely used in the surface treatment of metallic materials due to their low cost and simple operation. During pulsed laser processing, many parameters such as laser and material properties are involved. Consequently, the existing mathematical models for pulsed laser ablation of metals are complex and computationally difficult. In this paper, a simple and novel model was proposed for nanosecond pulsed laser processing based on heat transfer and geometrical mathematics. The geometrical parameters functions of the recast layer under pulsed laser single ablation and continuous superimposed ablation are presented, respectively. The feasibility of the models is validated by experiments. Errors in diameter and depth of single-pulse laser ablation craters were 2.56%–7.14% and 6.82%–18.91%. The recast layer depth error is about 3.47%–12.47% for successive pulses of superimposed ablation. It predicts the shape of the recast layer on pulsed laser ablated metal surfaces. The model is a guide to the surface morphology of laser woven materials and the preparation of surface functionalities, particularly the selection of process parameters for microstructure machining.