Morphological, structural and mechanical characteristics of laser-treated pure lead

Abstract

Abstract The impact of high-intensity visible radiation on the morphological, structural, and mechanical characteristics of pure lead has been examined via the irradiation of a continuous-wave diode laser on its samples. SEM and X-ray diffractometers were used to analyze the surface and structural morphology of the irradiated samples. The appearance of the burning effects, redeposition of material, and melt pools were checked after the irradiations in the SEM analysis. On the other hand, through the diffractometric X-ray analysis, the targeted sample’s d-spacing, grain size, and dislocation line density were resolved. To understand the mechanical characteristics of lead, the change in hardness of the materials was tested as a function of exposure duration using the micro-Vickers hardness tester, and the resulting outcomes were compared with those of unirradiated ones. The hardness of lead is enhanced as the exposure time increases, and this is accompanied by a continuous reduction of the grain size.