Laser color marking of titanium using nanosecond pulse duration in air environment—A systematic review

This article provides an overview of laser color marking of titanium based on annealing. The mechanism of the formation of oxide layers under the influence of laser radiation and the properties of these layers are discussed. Then, the most commonly used lasers for the creation of color oxide layers are listed. The results of the change in morphology and surface roughness are shown. After that, an overview of the surface composition analysis by means of x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, and Raman techniques is presented. The layer thicknesses estimated by the ellipsometric, secondary ion mass spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy methods are given. The influence of the process parameters on the produced oxides is shown. The following sections present the results of corrosion, friction, and wear resistance. This work also summarizes the results of the research on the influence of the gas environment, wettability, and the ability to remove oxides. Finally, a section is devoted to explain about further work required in order to use this method commercially in the future.