Laser ablation of diamond fibres and a diamond fibre metal matrix composite

Continuous chemical vapor-deposited diamond-coated fibres with tungsten wire or SiC fibre cores are attractive for reinforcing metals and ceramics. The fibres have been embedded in Ti-6Al-4V alloy to produce a diamond fibre-reinforced composite. Both the fibres and the composite material are extremely difficult to cut without damage by conventional mechanical methods. The use of a Nd-YAG laser to cut these materials is described.