Laser hybrid electrochemical surface modification of titanium alloys

Laser assisted Electrochemical Surface Modification (LESM) technology is a general term for coupling laser and electrochemical treatment technology to improve the surface properties of metal. Due to combining the advantages of laser and electrochemical processing, LESM has developed rapidly in recent years and gets applications in many fields, such as aerospace, aviation, navigation, and medicine. On the one hand, LESM can break through the limitations of single processing in environmental protection, efficiency, quality, and performance improvement. On the other hand, it can use the thermal, mechanical, and photoelectric effects provided by laser irradiation to change the thermodynamics and dynamics of the electrochemical reaction, and then control the electrochemical reaction process. LESM enables divided into three types based on the processing objective, including material removal (electrochemical machining), additive manufacturing (electrodeposition), and surface strengthening treatment (anodic/micro-arc oxidation). Simultaneously, according to the composite mode, it can also be divided into process composite and energy field composite. Thus, the typical methods of LESM are reviewed in this paper, and the recent developments in laser-assisted electrodeposition, laser-assisted electrochemical machining, and laser-assisted micro-arc oxidation technologies are introduced at the same time. Finally, the future development trends and challenges of LESM prospect in aspects of efficiency, quality, performance, and equipment development.