Surface Modification of Wood by Laser Irradiation

Abstract

This contribution presents first results of thorough systematic investigations concerning the effect of laser irradiation on wood. It has been found that the structure of a surface layer can be modified in a definite way by suitably choosing the irradiation parameters. For technical applications, thorough knowledge about the laser ablation process is necessary. Results of ablation experiments by excimer lasers, Nd:YAG-lasers, and TEA-CO2 lasers on surfaces of different wood types and cut orientations are shown. The process of ablation was observed by a high speed camera system and optical spectroscopy. The influence of the experimental parameters are demonstrated by SEM images and measurement of the ablation rate depending on energy density.