Transmission welding of carbon nanocomposites with direct-diode and Nd:YAG solid state lasers

Carbon nanocomposites consist of thermoset or thermoplastic materials filled with carbon nano-particles (nanotubes, bucky balls, etc.). This new and innovative group of materials offers many advantages over standard polymers such as electrical/thermal conductivity and improved structural properties. In the current study, direct diode and Nd:YAG solid-state lasers were used to transmission weld -carbon nanocomposite materials. The experimentation was focused on exploiting the infrared absorbing characteristics of the carbon nanocomposites. Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) based polymer was used in the initial experimentation to quantify weld strength. The experimentation included a complete analysis of the transmission characteristics of the base polymer at 810 nm and 1,064 nm wavelengths, an optical microscope view of the weld cross-section, and transmission welding experimentation. The transmission welding experimentation studied the relationship between average power, travel speed, and weld peel strength. A micro-channel welding experiment was also completed using a polycarbonate (PC) based polymer. The experimentation qualified the minimum feature size that could be joined. The results show that the carbon nanocomposites can be welded in a similar way to carbon black filled materials. The carbon nanocomposites exhibited higher peel strengths at lower average laser power at both 810 and 1064 nm. The carbon nanocomposite material exhibited a unique characteristic of being able to be machined and welded by the same laser wavelength.