Laser ablation mechanism and performance of glass fiber-reinforced phenolic composites:An experimental study and dual-scale modelling

Both experimental and simulation approaches were employed to investigate the laser ablation mechanism and performances of Glass Fiber Reinforced Phenolic Composites(GFRP).During the ablation process,the difference in thermal conductivities of the glass fibers and the resin matrix as well as their discrepant physical and chemical reactions form a conical ablation morphology.The formation of a residual carbon layer effectively mitigates the ablation rate in the thickness direction.A higher power density results in a faster ablation rate,while a longer irradiation time leads to a larger ablation pit diameter.To account for the variation in thermal conductivity between the fiber and resin,a macro-mesoscale model was developed to differentiate the matrix from the fiber components.Finite element analysis revealed that laser irradiation leads to phenolic decomposition,glass fiber melting vaporization,and residual carbon skeleton evaporation.The dual-scale model exhibits precise prediction capabilities concerning the laser ablation process of GFRP,and its accuracy is confirmed through the comparison of simulation and experimental results for the GFRP laser ablation process.This model provides a feasible method for performance evaluation and lifetime prediction of GFRP subjected to continuous wave laser irradiation.

Ablation Processes for HfC-Coated 2.5D Needle-Punched Composites Used for Aerospace Engines Under Hypersonic Flight Conditions

The working environment of aerospace engines is extremely harsh with temperature exceeding 1700℃and accompanied by thermal coupling effects.In this condition,the materials employed in hypersonic aircraft undergo ablation issues,which can cause catastrophic accidents.Due to the excellent high-temperature stability and ablation resistance,HfC exhibits outstanding thermal expansion coefficient matching that of C/SiC composites.2.5D needle-punched C/SiC composites coated with HfC are prepared using a plasma spraying process,and a high-enthalpy arc-heated wind tunnel is employed to simulate the re-entry environment of aircraft at 8 Mach and an altitude of 32 km.The plasma-sprayed HfC-coated 2.5D needle-punched C/SiC composites are subjected to long-term dynamic testing,and their properties are investigated.Specifically,after the thermal assessment ablation experiment,the composite retains its overall structure and profile;the total mass ablation rate is 0.07445 g/s,the average linear ablation rate in the thickness direction is-0.0675μm/s,and the average linear ablation rate in the length direction is 13.907μm/s.Results verify that plasma-sprayed HfC coating exhibits excellent anti-oxidation and ablation resistance properties.Besides,the microstructure and ablation mechanism of the C/SiC composites are studied.It is believed that this work will offer guideline for the development of thermal protection materials and the assessment of structural thermal performance.

Plasma and nanoparticle shielding during pulsed laser ablation in liquids cause ablation efficiency decrease

Understanding shielding cross-effects is a prerequisite for maximal power-specific nanosecond laser ablation in liquids(LAL).However,discrimination between cavitation bubble(CB),nanoparticle(NP),and shielding,e.g.,by the plasma or a transient vapor layer,is challenging.Therefore,CB imaging by shadowgraphy is performed to better understand the plasma and laser beam-NP interaction during LAL.By comparing the fluence-dependent CB volume for ablations performed with 1 ns pulses with reports from the literature,we find larger energy-specific CB volumes for 7 ns-ablation.The increased CB for laser ablation with higher ns pulse durations could be a first explanation of the efficiency decrease reported for these laser systems having higher pulse durations.Consequently,1 ns-LAL shows superior ablation efficiency.Moreover,a CB cascade occurs when the focal plane is shifted into the liquid.This effect is enhanced when NPs are present in the fluid.Even minute amounts of NPs trapped in a stationary layer decrease the laser energy significantly,even under liquid flow.However,this local concentration in the sticking film has so far not been considered.It presents an essential obstacle in high-yield LAL,shielding already the second laser pulse that arrives and presenting a source of satellite bubbles.Hence,measures to lower the NP concentration on the target must be investigated in the future.

Ablation effects and mechanism of sintered silicon carbide ceramics by an ArF excimer laser

The ablation of sintered silicon carbide ceramics by an ArF excimer laser was studied. Three zones are generated： the ablation zone that presented molten morphology and was composed by the Si and C phase; the condensation zone formed by vaporized SiC; and the oxidation zone that showed the characteristics of thermal oxidation. The ablation depth and oxidation range increase linearly with fluence and pulses within 0.5-4 J/cm2, but the normalized ablation efficiency is constant （3.60± 0.60 μm · mm2/J）. The theoretical photochemical ablation depth supplies 25% of the total depth at 1 J/cm2 but decreases to 16% at 4 J/cm2. The ablation is dominated by the photothermal effect and conforms to the thermal evaporation mechanism.

Efficient fabrication of light Cf/SiHfBOC composites with excellent thermal shock resistance and ultra-high-temperature ablation up to 1800℃

In this paper,a high-yield Hf-modified SiHfBOC ceramic precursor was developed,and a high-pressure assisted impregnation pyrolysis method was proposed to achieve the preparation of 3D PyC–Cf/SiHfBOC composites.This high-pressure assisted impregnation method significantly improves impregnation filling effect of the precursor in and between fiber bundles compared to dozens of traditional impregnation cycles.After undergoing just 9 precursor infiltration pyrolysis(PIP)cycles,the composites achieved relative density of approximately 90%and density of 1.64 g/cm^(3).The critical temperature difference of the 3D PyC–Cf/SiHfBOC composites after the shock of room temperature(RT)–1000℃is as high as 650℃,which is twice that of traditional ceramic materials,showing good thermal shock resistance.Under the effect of Hf modification,a dense HfO_(2)–SiO_(2)oxide layer(thickness of 93μm)was formed in situ on the surface of the 3D PyC–Cf/SiHfBOC composites,effectively preventing further erosion of the composite matrix by high-temperature oxidation gas.Even in the ultra-high-temperature oxygen-containing environment at 1800℃,it still exhibits an excellent non-ablative result(with a linear ablation rate of 0.83×10^(−4)mm/s).This work not only enriches the basic research on lightweight ultra-high-temperature ceramic composites converted from Hf ceramic precursors,but also provides strong technical support for their applications in ultra-high-temperature non-ablative thermal protection materials for high-speed aircraft.