Study of edge surface characteristics in continuous-wave infrared fiber laser cutting of carbon–carbon composites

The development of engineering solutions for extreme environments is essential for hypersonic vehicles, particularly for selecting materials and processing methods that can withstand ultrahigh temperatures. This study investigates carbon-carbon (C-C) composite materials, which are of particular interest for stagnation areas exposed to temperatures exceeding 3000 K. C-C composite bars were produced and cut using a continuous-wave infrared fiber laser. Under the conditions evaluated, a heat input of 75 J/mm or higher enabled the complete cutting of 6 mm-thick C-C composites with excellent surface quality. Compared with manual saw cutting, the laser-cut surfaces exhibited lower RZ5 roughness and higher crystallinity and structural order, as determined by X-ray diffractometry and Raman spectroscopy. The findings of this study demonstrated that laser cutting is an effective and recommended method for processing C-C composites, offering precision, superior surface quality, and suitability for aerospace applications.