Laser plasmatron for diamond coating deposition

Abstract

An experimental installation with a laser plasmatron based on a continuous wave CO₂ laser with a radiation power of up to 3.5 kW has been created. The plasmatron design makes it possible to bring out the plasma jet into atmospheric air both along and across the laser beam direction. The spatial temperature distributions on the metal substrate surface heated by the plasma jet are measured. The threshold power for optical discharge maintenance as a function of the gas flow rate and the focal length of the focusing lens are obtained for an Ar and Ar/CH₄/H₂ gas mixture under atmospheric pressure; the radiation spectrum of the discharge plasma is measured. A one-dimensional model of the discharge for estimation of its geometrical parameters in a convergent laser beam with consideration of radiation refraction on the discharge is given.