The process of high-power pulsed laser cleaning is dependent on the characteristics of the light pulses generated by the fiber laser and is based on a photophysical reaction formed by the interaction between the high-intensity beam, the short-pulsed laser and the contaminated layer.
The physical principles can be summarized as follows:
(1) The beam emitted by the laser is absorbed by the contaminated layer on the surface to be treated;
(2) The absorption of large energy to form a rapidly expanding plasma (highly ionized unstable gas), resulting in shock waves;
(3) The shock wave causes the contaminant to become fragmented and rejected;
4) The width of the light pulse must be short enough to avoid the heat buildup that destroys the surface being treated;
5) The plasma is generated on the metal surface when there are oxides on the surface.
