Characterisation of Particles Emitted during Laser Cutting of Various Metal Sheets and an Exposure Assessment for the Laser Operators

Stine Eriksen Hammer, Johanne Østereng Halvorsen, Pål Graff and Torunn Kringlen Ervik ()
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Stine Eriksen Hammer: National Institute of Occupational Health, 0363 Oslo, Norway
Johanne Østereng Halvorsen: National Institute of Occupational Health, 0363 Oslo, Norway
Pål Graff: National Institute of Occupational Health, 0363 Oslo, Norway
Torunn Kringlen Ervik: National Institute of Occupational Health, 0363 Oslo, Norway

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 16, 1-13

Abstract: Laser cutting is used in many industrial settings to achieve precise cuts of metal sheets. Laser operators may be exposed to particles formed during cutting when opening the cabinet or when metal sheets are exchanged. To characterise the potential exposure, particles formed during laser cutting were studied with scanning electron microscopy equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray detector and an energy backscatter diffraction detector. The total concentration of particles (11–615 nm) was determined online with a scanning mobility particle sizer. The chemical composition of the particles formed during the cutting of the different metal sheets was determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). X-ray diffraction was applied to determine the phase composition. The occupational exposure was assessed gravimetrically and by ICP-MS for five laser operators handling different laser cutters, and materials and were found to be low. Agglomerates and aggregates of condensation particles were formed during laser cutting, independent of the sheet type. Iron, present as both magnetite and α-Fe, was the main element found in the particles formed when cutting steel sheets. The size of the particles generated was mainly below 300 nm. Open laser cutters may lead to higher metal exposures, which is especially relevant when cutting metal sheets containing heavy metals.

Keywords: laser cutting; metal sheets; exposure levels; scanning electron microscopy; ICP-MS; X-ray diffraction; scanning mobility particle sizer (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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