Application of laser ablation technique for removal of chemically inert organically modified silicate coatings

Removal of organically modified silicate (Ormosil) coatings from 2024-T3 aluminum alloy substrates has been investigated using a laser ablation technique utilizing a 308 nm excimer laser. Incorporation of UV-absorbing dye molecules containing λ max in the vicinity of the laser wavelength (butyl-PBD, Furan 2, Morin, HQSA) into the Ormosil thin film was found to facilitate coating removal. Ormosil thin films containing 0.1–0.5 mol% UV-absorbing dye molecules were subjected to laser treatment at various fluences ranging from 0.2 to 0.6 J/cm 2. The presence of the UV-absorbing dye molecules in the Ormosil thin film was found to facilitate coating removal at a lower fluence as compared to dye-free coatings as determined by scanning electron microscopy. The effectiveness of coating removal was found to depend on several parameters including laser fluence, number of pulses per spot, and dye concentration.