Solid State Phenomena Sudmittod: 2020-01-20 ISSN: 1662-9779, Vol 308, pp 100-109 ‘Revised: 2020-0209 do:10 a2Nisvew-scientfic nevSSP 308 100 Accepted: 2050-03.04 ©2020 Trans Teck Publcations Led, Swazerland Online: 2020-07-24 Laser Thermal Oxidation by Ytterbium-Doped Fibre Laser of the Hot and Cold-Rolled Stainless Steel Surface Zbigniew Brytan'@", Wojciech Pakieta’ Division of Materials Processing Technology, Management anc Computer Techniques in Materals Science, Department of Engineering Materials and Biomaterials, Silesian University of Technology, ul. Konarskiego 18a, 44-100, Glwize, Poland abigniew brytan@polsl.pl Keywords: Laser thermal oxidation, Laser surface colouring, Stainless steel, Surface oxidation, Fibre laser Abstract. In paper laser thermal oxidation of austenitic stainless steels AISI 201, 3041. of different surface mill finishes, the hot and cold rolled was investigated by the Yiterbium-doped fibre laser (Q=1070 nm) with an output power of 400W by varying scanning speed in the range $+2m/s in the air atmosphere. The influence of laser oxidation parameters on the surface colour was evahusted by colorimetric identification ntroducti Stainless steels are frequer ly applied due to the special surface appearance. The base spplieations include sheets with a mill finish, both hot and cold rolled one, where the surface appearance can cctange from dull, matt finish to the lustre like finish in case of cold-rolled sheets. The next popular surface finish is made by grinding and polishing to different surface aspects. The other technic ‘eancems surface colouring by chemical and electrochemical methods, where a broad range of coloar can be achieved. In general, different colours are formed owing to the interference resulting from different thicknesses of the oxide film on the stainless stee! surface. Various thicknesses of the oxide film can be obtained by thermal oxidation in air at a specific temperature, chemical axidation or ekctrechemical oxidation. The light-coloured films are obtained by thermal oxidation, deep- coloured, and intense-coloured films are obtained by chemical or electrochemical oxidation (1,2. Laser surface treatment (remelting, alloying, surfacing, etc.) has been a canon of surface ‘engineering techniques for many years, where virtually all metal engineering materials, eg. aluminium alloys, stainless steels, ete. are successfully processed. In addition to this, lasers are useful to colour the surface of metal materials [3-5] Laser colouring is also applied as marking technic, where the three main methods are applied for metal surface. In the first method. laser radiation is used as a heat source to form a transparent or semi-transparert oxide film cn the stainless steel surface [6]. The light is reflected from the surface of both oxide and metal, and thus as a result of light interference, a colour effect is obiained. The thickness of the oxide layer and its refractive index determine the colour spectrum [6]. The next mnethod includes laser-induced periodic surface structures formation on the steel substrate by high- peak-power femtosecond or picesecond lasers The surface colour effect is obtained due to the creation of periodic surface micro‘nanostructures, giving rise to iridescent colours due to the optical diffraction effect [7]. The third colouring technic is also related to the that involve metallic nanostructures and redeposited nanoparticles by picosecond lasers and related surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effects giving colouring effect [2,8] Im the present study, the stainless steel surface colouring effect was obtained by laser surface ‘oxidation. The Yiterbium-doped fibre laser (.=1070 nm) of 400W power with varying scanning speed in range 5+20m/s in theair atmosphere. The wide and long laser surface tracks were performed to form as wide as possible surface discolouration area, The rectangular laser spot was applied to obtaina surface oxidation area, where a uniform power dstribution and short heating time is crucial ‘The influence of laser oxidation parameters on the surface colour was evaluated by colorimetiie identification using CIE L*a*b* colour space. motion of surface structures