Jet and Laser-Jet Electrochemical Micromachining of Nickel and Steel

Abstract

Experimental results on jet and laser-jet electrochemical micromachining of nickel and steel in neutral solutions of sodium chloride and sodium nitrate are reported. In the absence of a laser beam, a nitrate solution is better suited for micromachining at high current densities, since it yields high machining rates and relatively low overcutting. In the presence of a laser beam, however, nitrate solution is found to be unsuitable for micromachining, since oxygen evolution is the dominant anodic reaction even at high current densities. In chloride solution, on the other hand, metal dissolution reaction is independent of laser power, but the laser beam helps in focusing the applied current into the machining area thereby increasing the effective machining rate and precision. © 1989, The Electrochemical Society, Inc. All rights reserved.