Femtosecond Laser Ablation of Copper-Hydroxyphosphate-Modified CFRP.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Manufacturing Engineering
• Laser Processing

Background:

• Machining carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) with ultrashort-pulse lasers offers high precision.
• However, CFRP's heterogeneous structure causes heat-affected zones and inconsistent kerf quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate copper hydroxyphosphate as a laser-absorbing additive for femtosecond laser ablation of CFRP.
• To evaluate its effect on ablation efficiency, surface quality, and process stability.

Main Methods:

• Synthesized copper hydroxyphosphate via hydrothermal methods.
• Incorporated additive into epoxy matrix for single-ply CFRP laminates.
• Performed femtosecond laser ablation (1030 nm) of square patterns and analyzed ablated volumes using SEM and EDS.

Main Results:

• In neat epoxy, copper additive decreased ablation efficiency and penetration depth but improved surface smoothness.
• In CFRP, copper hydroxyphosphate increased ablation efficiency and penetration depth.
• SEM/EDS revealed more uniform matrix removal and resin retention on fibers in copper-modified CFRP.

Conclusions:

• Copper hydroxyphosphate acts as a local energy absorber in CFRP laser machining.
• It enhances process uniformity and stability, trading volumetric removal for improved surface quality in epoxy and better processing in CFRP.