Effects of laser processing parameters and scanning angle on damage morphology and residual tensile properties of CFRP laminates with a continuum damage mechanics model
- 1School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, China
- 2China Academy of Machinery Science and Technology Group Co., Ltd, Beijing, China
- 3Beijing National Innovation Institute of Lightweight Ltd, Beijing, China
Abstract
Laser processing of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites offers significant advantages in precision and efficiency, yet the thermal damage it induces remains a critical concern for structural integrity. This study investigates the effects of laser drilling and cutting on the damage morphology and residual tensile properties of T300-3K/epoxy CFRP laminates, with systematic variation of laser power, irradiation duration, scanning angle, and scanning distance across 21 processing conditions. White-light interferometric microscopy characterized three-dimensional ablation topography, and uniaxial tensile testing quantified mechanical degradation. For drilled specimens, increasing power from 250 W to 1000 W enlarged the ablation crater diameter by approximately 200% (1007–3021 μm), while extending irradiation duration from 0.5 s to 1.0 s produced a further 37% increase. For cut specimens, perpendicular scanning induced a broader heat-affected zone and more severe interfacial disruption than fiber-parallel scanning due to anisotropic thermal conductivity, with the maximum surface height difference reaching 4259 μm at 500 W and 90°. Residual tensile strength decreased monotonically with increasing energy input: drilled specimen strength declined from 735 MPa to 293 MPa (a reduction of over 60% to the pristine strength of 954 MPa); cut specimen strength at 500 W decreased from 466 MPa at 0° to 233 MPa at 90° due to progressive fiber severance, with cut specimens consistently weaker than drilled counterparts owing to kerf-induced stress concentration. A CDM-based empirical model integrating all four parameters was developed; nonlinear regression yielded A = 0.0266187, m = 0.464431, n = 0.645373, α = 0.0745099, β = 0.22664, and R2 = 0.9151, providing a validated quantitative tool for structural integrity assessment of laser-processed CFRP components.
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BibTeX
@article{liang2026effects,
title = {{Effects of laser processing parameters and scanning angle on damage morphology and residual tensile properties of CFRP laminates with a continuum damage mechanics model}},
author = {Wei Liang and Mingwei Ren and Yunbo Chen and Lingli Zuo and Peng Pan},
journal = {PLOS One},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0361461},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0361461},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Effects of laser processing parameters and scanning angle on damage morphology and residual tensile properties of CFRP laminates with a continuum damage mechanics model
AU - Wei Liang
AU - Mingwei Ren
AU - Yunbo Chen
AU - Lingli Zuo
AU - Peng Pan
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/06
JO - PLOS One
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0361461
UR - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0361461
AB - Laser processing of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites offers significant advantages in precision and efficiency, yet the thermal damage it induces remains a critical concern for structural integrity. This study investigates the effects of laser drilling and cutting on the damage morphology and residual tensile properties of T300-3K/epoxy CFRP laminates, with systematic variation of laser power, irradiation duration, scanning angle, and scanning distance across 21 processing conditions. White-light interferometric microscopy characterized three-dimensional ablation topography, and uniaxial tensile testing quantified mechanical degradation. For drilled specimens, increasing power from 250 W to 1000 W enlarged the ablation crater diameter by approximately 200% (1007–3021 μm), while extending irradiation duration from 0.5 s to 1.0 s produced a further 37% increase. For cut specimens, perpendicular scanning induced a broader heat-affected zone and more severe interfacial disruption than fiber-parallel scanning due to anisotropic thermal conductivity, with the maximum surface height difference reaching 4259 μm at 500 W and 90°. Residual tensile strength decreased monotonically with increasing energy input: drilled specimen strength declined from 735 MPa to 293 MPa (a reduction of over 60% to the pristine strength of 954 MPa); cut specimen strength at 500 W decreased from 466 MPa at 0° to 233 MPa at 90° due to progressive fiber severance, with cut specimens consistently weaker than drilled counterparts owing to kerf-induced stress concentration. A CDM-based empirical model integrating all four parameters was developed; nonlinear regression yielded A = 0.0266187, m = 0.464431, n = 0.645373, α = 0.0745099, β = 0.22664, and R2 = 0.9151, providing a validated quantitative tool for structural integrity assessment of laser-processed CFRP components.
SN - 1932-6203
ER -