A Numerical Study on Scattering and Absorption of Laser Beam by Metal Particles

In laser keyhole welding, keyhole formation is possible due to high power density. However, the high power density promotes the generation of metal particles, which may affect the formation of the weld joint in some cases. Therefore, in this study, scattering and absorption phenomena of the laser beam due to metal particles were modeled and used in numerical simulations. The degree of scattering and absorption of the laser beam for a fixed keyhole shape was calculated, and it showed that the size of the influential region affects the scattering and absorption results. From this, it is thought that the accuracy of the numerical analysis can be improved if an appropriate scattering and absorption occurrence region can be defined in laser keyhole welding.