Heterogeneous ablation behavior of SiC_f/SiC composite by nanosecond pulse laser

Abstract

Silicon carbide fiber-reinforced silicon carbide composites are preferred materials for hot-end structural parts of aero-engines. However, their anisotropy, heterogeneity, and ultra-high hardness make them difficult to machine. In this paper, 2.5-dimensional braided SiC_f/SiC composites were processed using a nanosecond pulsed laser. The temperature field distribution at the laser ablated spot is analyzed through finite element modeling (FEM), and the ablation behavior of the two main components, SiC fiber and SiC matrix, is explored. A plasma plume forms when the pulse energy is sufficiently high, which increases with growing energy. The varied ablation behavior of the components is investigated, including the removal rate, ablative morphology, and phase transition. The ablation thresholds of SiC matrix and SiC fiber are found to be 2.538 J/cm² and 3.262 J/cm², respectively.

Keywords

Nanosecond pulsed laser / SiC_f/SiC composites / Plasma / Surface characteristics / Ablation thresholds

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Funding

Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province(BK20201298); National Natural Science Foundation of China(52175412); Science Center for Gas Turbine Project(P2022-A-IV-002-001); Doctoral Students of Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics(KXKCXJJ202205)