Titanium Alloy Color Oxidation and Laser Marking

The book provides a detailed explanation of the practical techniques and points to keep in mind in the process of coloring and etching titanium alloys.The book includes information on surface pretreatment methods, laser parameter settings, and color control tricks, helping practitioners solve common problems like uneven oxidation and color fading, and thus improving the quality and efficiency of their work.

The difficulties and solutions of marking titanium alloys.

The coloring process for titanium alloys may seem simple, but in practice it is very difficult to get the desired colors, and the edges often come out blurry.Experience has shown that 80 % of the problems are due to the two steps of material pretreatment and parameter matching.

Surface treatment is the key to success or failure.

Don ’ t rush to paint! First, clean the surface with alcohol. Then, use a 600-grit sandpaper to sand it lightly.In particular, the surface oxide layer of titanium used in medical or aerospace applications is much thicker than that of ordinary materials, and in these cases it is necessary to spend an additional five minutes using dilute hydrochloric acid to activate the surface.

Laser parameter adjustment experience.

The laboratory parameters can only be used as a reference, and the actual equipment has to be worked out by trial and error.It is recommended that power be set at 30 watts and gradually increased. The frequency should be controlled between 20-50 kilohertz.There's a little trick to it: use scraps to test out different combinations of speeds, then find the range where the colors change most dramatically and fine-tune from there.

Three secrets to color control.

To achieve stable gold or blue tones, you must remember three things: the temperature must be controlled to an accuracy of 5 degrees Celsius, the humidity must be kept between 40 % and 60 %, and the oxidation time must be precise to the second.Purple is especially sensitive, and a two-second delay could turn it into dark brown.

Emergency solutions to common problems.

If you encounter a problem with the oxide layer coming off, don't panic. First check the purity of the material. Industrial grade titanium has a lot of impurities, so it's recommended that you use grade TA2 or higher.If the color is not uniform, try adjusting the overlap rate of the laser beam from 15 % to 20 %. This will result in a marked improvement.

Daily maintenance tips.

Clean the lens once a week, but don't use ordinary paper towels! Only lens paper and alcohol will do.The cooling system requires special attention. If the water temperature exceeds 25 ° C, the machine must be stopped immediately for inspection. This is much faster than destroying the equipment by an error in the parameters.