LASER-BEAM PROCESSING OF A SIC PARTICULATE-REINFORCED 6061-ALUMINUM METAL-MATRIX COMPOSITE

SiC particulate reinforced 6061 Al metal matrix composites were laser beam cut using a 3kW continuous wave CO2 laser. The influence of laser processing parameters such as cutting speed, laser power, and shieldi ng gas on the quality of the cuts were investigated. Optical microscop y, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction were used to ana lyse the laser treated zone. Experimental results show that 6061 Al me tal matrix composites can be cut successfully using a laser. A number of Al4C3/Al4SiC4 plates were formed in the heat affected zones due to a chemical reaction between Si and Al that occurred during the laser p rocessing.