Investigations of laser-sustained plasma and its role in laser nitriding of titanium

Laser-sustained plasma (LSP) and CCD imaging of reactant species were employed to investigate the role of near-surface plasma in CO ₂ laser nitriding of titanium in open atmosphere. Insights were gained regarding the role of plasma processes and the role of reactive nitriding species in the nitriding process. Studies of single nitrided trails have identified the following regimes, as a function of LSP off-focal distance and beam translation speed, characterized by (1) the formation of heavily oxidized surfaces, (2) the formation of titanium nitride (TiN) nanoparticulate, (3) nitride formation in the absence of a surface-struck or LSP and (4) the formation of near-stoichiometric, oxide-free TiN surfaces with a LSP. For the first time it will be shown that the LSP can access nitriding conditions beyond those achieved with surface-struck plasma (or in the absence of plasma) to produce uniform, near-stoichiometric, titanium nitride coatings.