Revitalizing Metals - Laser Rust Removal Technology
Release time：2024.03.26
Views：1531Laser rust cleaning is a common application of laser cleaning, with the laser through the rusty metal shell, rust will be quickly taken off, the metal material become smooth and new. But how have laser done this?
To understand how laser rust removal is achieved, first we need to know how metals rust. Taking the common rusting of iron products as an example, the chemical properties of iron are relatively active. Oxygen in the air reacts with iron to form iron oxide, which is faster in environments with higher humidity. The formed iron oxide is a sponge like porous structure that is more likely to absorb moisture from the air and accelerate the process of rusting.
loss of its original properties, such as hardness and compressive strength, seriously affecting the performance and lifespan of the metal. For example, the rust produced by ships going out to sea affects the speed of navigation, leading to damage to the ship's hull. If not cleaned up in time, it can even create danger.
Traditional rust removal methods include mechanical rust removal, chemical rust removal, etc. Mechanical rust removal is simple and rough, time-consuming and labor-intensive. Although chemical rust removal is relatively simple, the discharge of waste liquid has become a new problem. Although these methods can remove rust, they all have problems such as complex operation, long time consumption, harsh working environment, and easy secondary pollution.
Based on this, laser rust removal technology has emerged. Due to the loose structure of the rust layer on the surface of the metal, the energy emitted by the laser is quickly absorbed by it, forming a rapidly expanding plasma and generating shock waves that cause the rust to become smaller fragments and fall off. As we mentioned earlier, metal rust is different from the composition of the metal substrate, and therefore the structure is also different. So we only need to control the threshold of laser power to achieve the level of melting rust without causing damage to the material, in order to achieve the goal of rust removal.
To understand how laser rust removal is achieved, first we need to know how metals rust. Taking the common rusting of iron products as an example, the chemical properties of iron are relatively active. Oxygen in the air reacts with iron to form iron oxide, which is faster in environments with higher humidity. The formed iron oxide is a sponge like porous structure that is more likely to absorb moisture from the air and accelerate the process of rusting.
loss of its original properties, such as hardness and compressive strength, seriously affecting the performance and lifespan of the metal. For example, the rust produced by ships going out to sea affects the speed of navigation, leading to damage to the ship's hull. If not cleaned up in time, it can even create danger.
Traditional rust removal methods include mechanical rust removal, chemical rust removal, etc. Mechanical rust removal is simple and rough, time-consuming and labor-intensive. Although chemical rust removal is relatively simple, the discharge of waste liquid has become a new problem. Although these methods can remove rust, they all have problems such as complex operation, long time consumption, harsh working environment, and easy secondary pollution.
Based on this, laser rust removal technology has emerged. Due to the loose structure of the rust layer on the surface of the metal, the energy emitted by the laser is quickly absorbed by it, forming a rapidly expanding plasma and generating shock waves that cause the rust to become smaller fragments and fall off. As we mentioned earlier, metal rust is different from the composition of the metal substrate, and therefore the structure is also different. So we only need to control the threshold of laser power to achieve the level of melting rust without causing damage to the material, in order to achieve the goal of rust removal.
