Surface morphology evolution mechanisms of laser polishing in ambient gas.

• An improved model capable of analyzing the effects of ambient gas on laser polishing is proposed. • Mass transfer, solutocapillary force, and chemical reaction are added to the model. • Convection is the main mass transfer mechanism in the molten pool, not diffusion. • The solutocapillary force always acts in the opposite direction to the melt flows. • The dissolved oxygen enhances the thermocapillary force driving the melt to flow inward. Laser polishing, as an effective surface finishing process, is significantly affected by ambient gas. Previous studies on the contribution of ambient gas to laser polishing mostly focused on experiments, but rarely on numerical simulations. Given this, this paper proposes an improved model capable of analyzing the effects of ambient gas on the laser-polished surface's morphology evolution mechanisms, by expanding an existing laser polishing model with the influences of mass transfer, solutocapillary forces, and chemical reactions. Argon and air were used as ambient gasses for comparison. Through this model, the surface morphology evolution of laser polishing in air was compared with that in argon in terms of the velocity field, temperature field, concentration field, melt surface velocity, molten pool surface profile, and surface forces. The respective contributions of chemical reaction heat, oxygen mass flux, mass transfer, and surface forces were also presented. Furthermore, the numerical model was verified on 304 stainless steel from the perspectives of polished surface roughness, molten pool depth, and oxygen element distribution. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]