Laser Engraving of Ceramic Tiles

Abstract

Industrial ceramic tiles were subjected to ablation in air using a pulsed Nd:YAG laser under varying repetitive scanning and laser irradiance conditions. Two distinct photothermal ablation regimes were identified related to vaporization (<70 MW/mm2, vapor plume) and species breakdown (>70 MW/mm2, plasma plume) processes. X‐ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopic studies indicated that the ablation of red clay and porcelain tiles followed different paths. Surface melting in clay tiles reduced the efficiency of ablation as the number of cycles and irradiance increased. The method enables high‐definition, noncontact engraving in industrial ceramic surfaces.

Ultrafine and nanoparticle formation and emission mechanisms during laser processing of ceramic materials

“…2), especially during the ablation process (d) where aggregates of particles in the nano-size range are observed. This is expected to occur due to the fact that laser engraving induces phase transitions, causing break down of the original material (Lahoz et al, 2011). During ablation, particles are produced with a more spherical shape whereas during sintering (Fig.…”

“…Pigments are essentially composed of oxides of Al, Cu, Cr, Co, Mn, Fe, Pb, and Sn (Taylor, Bull, & Ceramics, 1986;Casasola, Rincón, & Romero, 2012;Celades, 2013). Furthermore, ZrSiO 4 , ZrO 2 , ZnO, TiO 2 and SnO 2 are frequently used as opacifying agents to produce opaque frits (Jacobs, 1954;Romero, Rincón, & Acosta, 2003;Lahoz et al, 2011;Casasola et al, 2012).…”

“…These are six of the most frequently used types of tiles in the industry. b) Laser ablation Laser ablation is the process by which material is expelled from a surface by irradiating it with a pulsed laser (Bäuerle, 1996;Rubahn, 1999;Lahoz et al, 2011). Fig.…”

“…This innovative technology allows to obtain coatings of practically any oxide material on an alumina substrate (Estepa & de la Fuente, 2006;de Francisco et al, 2011). In addition, this novel tool can also make use of CO 2 lasers in pulsed mode (induced laser ablation) to perform engravings on the surface of ceramics (Lahoz et al, 2011). The high-energy nature of these laser processes implies a significant potential for the generation and emission of particles in the ultrafine and nanoparticle size range.…”

“…Laser irradiation of ceramic material is a novel technique with numerous advantages regarding the sintering process such as speed, temperature and enhanced durability and surface properties of structural materials (Schmatjko, Endres, Schmidt, & Banz, 1988;Toenshoff & Gedrat, 1991;Jervis, Nastasi, Hubbard, & Hirvonen, 1993;de Francisco et al, 2011;Lahoz, de la Fuente, Pedra, & Carda, 2011). The use of high powered CO 2 lasers for industrial ceramic materials processing was studied in the framework of LIFE projects and is currently being assessed for two different industrial processes: (i) tile sintering in a high-temperature furnace and, (ii) ablation of ceramic materials.…”