Effect of power on laser cleaning result of stainless steel surface

Laser cleaning technology was used to clean the surface of stainless steel, and the influence of different laser power (300 W, 400 W, 500 W) on cleaning effect was studied. The surface morphology and composition dis tribution of stainless steel were analyzed by SEM and EDS. The surface roughness and cleaning thickness were detected by White Light Interferometer. The results show that, with the increase of laser power, the oxide of stainless steel decomposes and flakes gradually, and the cleaning thickness keeps deepening and reaches 50 pm at 500 W, which causes partial damage to the matrix. The roughness value decreases firstly and then increases. It reaches a minimum value of 0.38 pm at 400 W. Laser cleaning threshold is approximately 3.96×10³ W/cm², and damage threshold is about 5.52×10³ W/cm² The best laser cleaning effect of stainless steel is obtained when the power is 400 W.