LASER ETCHING OF POLYMER COMPOUNDS

Laser etching of carbon black-loaded polypropylene compounds was studi ed by using a Nd : YAG laser of 532 nm wavelength. A mathematical equa tion was developed to describe the etching process. The etching experi ments showed that, under certain laser conditions, the width and depth are only affected by the carbon black. There was quantitative agreeme nt between the theoretical prediction and the experimental results. (C ) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.