Study of material characteristics in laser trepan drilling of ZTA

Abstract

Zirconia Toughened Alumina (ZTA) ceramic is used to make distinct components of aerospace, military and biomedical industries which require suitable machining method free of mechanical forces. Recent researchers reveal that Laser Beam Machining has diverse potential to overcome machining difficulty of structural ceramics. But to enhance the durability and performance of these components, study of material properties became essential after laser machining because this process involves intense heat or thermal energy. Present study investigates the material characteristics of laser trepanned ZTA plate with the aim to explore the effects of process parameters on recast layer thickness, microcrack width and microhardness. The outcome of study may be helpful in setting the processing regime for laser trepanning of ZTA ceramic which may furnish the products with minimum recast layer thickness and microcrack width along with minimum change in microhardness. The experimental results show that lower pulse width or trepanning speed, and higher air pressure reduce the recast layer thickness and microcrack width.