Liquid-assisted laser ablation of advanced ceramics and glass-ceramic materials

•Liquid-assisted laser ablation of advanced ceramics and glass-ceramic materials is reported.•Geometrical parameters, morphology, and ablation yields were studied.•Variation in ablation yields was related to refractive index and viscosity of liquid.•Correlation between mechanical properties and ablation yields was observed. In this work, results obtained by laser ablation of advanced ceramics and glass-ceramic materials assisted by liquids are reported. A Q-switched Nd:YAG laser at its fundamental wavelength of 1064nm with pulse-width in the nanosecond range was used to machine the materials, which were immersed in water and ethylene glycol. Variation in geometrical parameters, morphology, and ablation yields were studied by using the same laser working conditions. It was observed that machined depth and removed volume depended on the thermal, optical, and mechanical features of the processed materials as well as on the properties of the surrounding medium in which the laser processing was carried out. Variation in ablation yields was studied in function of the liquid used to assist the laser process and related to refractive index and viscosity. Material features and working conditions were also related to the obtained results in order to correlate ablation parameters with respect to the hardness of the processed materials.