Overview of Laser Absorptivity Measurement Techniques for Material Processing

During laser surface treatment, the beam absorption can vary considerably depending on the surface quality, temperature and environment. The metallic surfaces exhibit higher absorptivity when irradiated with a focused laser light. Investigation of the dynamic variation of absorptivity of metals during laser processing is a topic of interest for manufacturing community. This paper focuses on a brief review of absorptivity measurement methods adopted for industrial metals such as steel, titanium, aluminium and copper during laser surface treatment processes. It provides state of art in analytical, numerical and experimental techniques for measuring the absorptivity in order to design an efficient laser control systems.