Indoor Air Quality Considerations During Laser Ablation Applications

What Is Laser Ablation?

The design etched on your ceramic coffee cup. The engine in the airplane that took you on your last vacation. The logo on your reusable water bottle. Even a work of art that hangs in your favorite museum. All these are examples of objects that have been created or improved by laser ablation.

Laser ablation is extremely common across industries. Unfortunately, so are the toxic emissions that occur during the process.

To ablate something with a laser is to direct the cutting tool, in this case, a beam of light, on the surface that needs excising. The intensity of the laser will turn the solid into gas; this process is called thermal evaporation. Laser ablation is the physical reaction that occurs when the unwanted solids covering an object are vaporized.

What Are Its Uses?

When people hear the term laser ablation, what often comes to mind is cleaning objects with a laser. While this is true, the process encompasses so much more. Ablation includes:

Cutting – removing portions of a surface, layer by layer

Texturing – roughing up a part’s surface by digging patterns into the surface. Often used for preparing an object for bonding or surface coating

Marking – etching and engraving both fall under this method and are used to create permanent inscriptions, codes, or logos.

Cleaning – breaking the chemical bond that holds dirt, oxides, and other coatings

What Industries Use It?

Nearly all industries use laser ablation at some level. Whether stripping paint from wood, removing rust from metal, preparing a surface for coatings, or engraving glass and stamping plastic, companies use this method to improve or manufacture items. The aerospace industry values it for its precision and ability to reduce surface temperatures during production and maintenance. In manufacturing, glass and diamonds, ceramics, and plastics are laser cut or marked using this method.

The process of laser ablation goes beyond industrial applications and is routinely used in other fields as well.

Art Restorers use laser ablation to recondition artifacts. It has become one of the preferred techniques to remove oil and grease from a canvas and tarnish from a sculpture due to its accuracy and efficiency.

Dentists use laser ablation for minimally invasive procedures like removing tartar or preparing a tooth for a filling or crown.

Healthcare practitioners use laser ablation when caring for patients. Lasers are particularly good with procedures involving soft tissue. Laser ablation is used to perform cataract surgeries and biopsies, tumor excisions, and skin-resurfacing.

Can It Cause Indoor Air Pollution?

Yes. While laser ablation does a lot of good, indoor air pollution does not. Potentially toxic emissions are created when the heat from the laser’s high energy beam cuts a surface and vapors and particulate matter enter into a worker’s breathing space. Examples of emissions can include:

1. Dust / Particulate Matter. When a laser cuts wood, dust particles spray into the atmosphere. These will contain traces of any finish, paint, or mildew that covers the wood. Similarly, when a laser cuts ceramic or glass, the ablation process can release particles containing silica or other harmful compounds.
2. Gases such as VOCs. Ablation can release hazardous gases such as ozone and methane plus Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), gases that contain carbon, such as toluene, formaldehyde, and ethanol.
3. Metal Vapors. When metals such as cadmium, beryllium, and lead are ablated, the heat creates vapors that are toxic and can harm humans if inhaled.

What Are the Negative Health Effects?

If not managed properly, the dust, mists, and gases emitted into the atmosphere can make people sick. Negative health effects stemming from laser ablation exposure can include respiratory complications such as inflammation and breathing problems, eye and skin irritation and burns, or metal poisoning. Neurological reactions resulting from exposure can include headache, dizziness, and memory loss. Long-term exposure can cause irreversible damage and disease.

How Can We Eliminate Occupational Risk?

Prevent unnecessary emissions created by laser ablation by employing the following safeguards:

Ventilation. Ensure proper room ventilation by using fans, air handling systems, or opening windows.

Personal Protective Items such as facemasks, gloves, goggles, or respirators should be worn if needed.

Equipment Maintenance, monitoring, and cleaning should be performed regularly.

Localized Exhaust Systems, such as fume extraction, should be used to remove contaminants at the source of emissions.

At AIRSInc., our air purification products, such as our SP-800 Portable Fume Extractor, will improve indoor air quality by removing hazardous pollutants before they can enter a worker’s breathing space.

Contact us today to schedule a free consultation with one of our specialists to find out if our air cleaning products are right for you.