A new method for membrane manufacturing from polyamide with semiconductor diode laser

In this study, a semiconductor diode laser assisted Laser Drilling Process (LDP) for the polyamide (PA, nylon 66) membranes is presented. Along with an experimental work, based on a theoretical investigation a mathematical modelling was constructed as a computer program to simulate the whole experimental procedure. The simulation includes two parts; the material laser interaction for the drilling process and the coordinate of the interaction region on the material with respect to the targeted burst point and the interaction timing. In the theoretical side of the laser-material interaction (in our case PA), the main parameters such as thermal analysis, porous surface analysis, melting front yield widening, and Heat-Affected-Zone (HAZ) radius were investigated in terms of laser pulse length and laser beam energy density (i.e. focused laser beam diameter, spot size). The porous surface analysis was performed and pore sizes on the polyamide surface were observed that they changed from 0.5 mu m to 5 mu m. The melting front yield widening was calculated as 88.0%. The theoretical and experimental data harmony percentages of widening under 0.005 s and 0.01 s pulse durations for the fast axis beam waist (FABW) and the slow axis beam waist (SABW) were calculated as 91%-86% and 98%-99%, respectively. The HAZ radius was evaluated under 0.0005 s, 0.005 s, and 0.01 s pulse durations and the theoretical and experimental data harmony percentages was calculated as 99.6%, 99.1%, and 99.6%, respectively. Due to the elliptical shape of the diode laser beam the simulation based on the mathematics was constructed regarding to the FABW and the SABW radii. The theoretical and experimental data harmony percentages related with the motorized system mathematics of the LDP under 0.0005 s, 0.005 s, and 0.01 s pulse durations were determined as 97.0%, 99.4% and 95.0%, respectively. The theoretical and experimental data harmony percentages of thermal analysis under the pulse durations were obtained as 88.0%, 91.0% and 93.0%, respectively.

Automated summary

This study presents a semiconductor diode laser assisted Laser Drilling Process for polyamide membranes, with a mathematical modelling computer program based on theoretical investigation to simulate the experimental procedure. The simulation focuses on material laser interaction for drilling process, interaction timing, and analysis of parameters such as thermal analysis and porous surface analysis.