PREDICTING THE TEMPERATURE RESPONSE OF SPECIALIZED RUBBERS UNDER PULSED CO₂ LASER IRRADIATION

Abstract

This study addresses the problem of predicting the temperature response of specialized elastomeric materials under pulsed CO₂ laser irradiation, which is critical for optimizing laser engraving and surface modification processes. Despite extensive research on laser ablation of polymers, the thermal behavior of commercial laser rubbers under short-pulse irradiation remains insufficiently understood. The aim of this work is to perform numerical modeling of the thermal response of five Laserrubber materials (ECO, AERO, CLASSICO, OLIO, and TEMPO) subjected to pulsed CO₂ laser radiation with a wavelength of 10.6 μm. The modeling approach is based on solving the transient heat conduction equation in cylindrical coordinates, taking into account Gaussian beam intensity distribution and material-specific thermophysical properties, including thermal conductivity, heat capacity, density, and absorption coefficient. Simulations were conducted for pulse durations ranging from 100 ns to 200 μs at constant pulse energy, allowing analysis of peak surface temperatures and thermal penetration depth.

The results demonstrate that pulse duration is a key parameter controlling the dominant physical mechanisms of laser–material interaction. At nanosecond scales, extreme temperatures up to 4000 °C are reached, leading to plasma formation, shock wave generation, and minimal heat penetration. As pulse duration increases, peak temperatures significantly decrease, and the process transitions from plasma-dominated ablation to thermally controlled regimes with increased heat diffusion and broader heat-affected zones. At microsecond scales, moderate heating prevails, reducing the risk of carbonization but increasing the likelihood of bulk thermal modification.

A stable hierarchy of thermal response among the studied materials is established, with CLASSICO exhibiting the highest thermal loading and AERO and OLIO showing the greatest thermal stability. The obtained logarithmic approximations of temperature evolution enable predictive assessment of processing conditions.

The findings provide practical guidelines for selecting both material type and laser режимs to control the depth of thermal damage and improve the quality of CO₂ laser processing of specialized rubbers.