METHOD OF LASER PROCESSING OF VOLATILE ALLOYS

摘要

The present invention relates to flux compositions and methods for laser processing volatile alloys. A flux composition contains a metal oxide, a metal silicate, or both; a shielding agent which forms at least one gas upon heating; and a plasmagenerating agent, but not a metal fluoride. A process involves applying an energy beam (10) to a flux composition (6) such that the flux composition reacts to form a plasma (14) and a shielding gas (18). An amount of energy applied to the flux composition is controlled to convert the flux composition into a molten slag blanket (16) in the presence of the shielding gas without completely melting an alloy material (4) situated below the flux composition. The molten slag blanket then heats the alloy material by thermal conduction in the presence of the shielding gas to form a pressurized melt pool (22) of the alloy material, which cool and solidifies.