DRILLING WITH LASER

DISCUSSED ARE THE FACTORS INVOLVED IN USING LASERS FOR DRILLING OR SPALLING ROCK. BOTH THE RUBY LASER AND GAS LASER OPERATING CHARACTERISTICS ARE LISTED. SOME METHODS FOR DRILLING BY SPALLING AND FOCUSING THE LASER OVER A LARGE AREA OF THE ROCK SURFACE TO HEAT THE ROCK TO A SPALLING TEMPERATURE OF 400-600 C ARE DISCUSSED, OR BY DEGRADING ROCKS (THAT CANNOT SPALL) BY HEATING THEM TO 300-600 C. A GAS LASER, FOR EXAMPLE, WAS USED TO DEGRADE GRANITE, MARBLE, GNEISS AND SCHIST. BECAUSE OF LOW POWER OUTPUT, LASERS ARE LIMITED TO LOW DRILLING RATES EXCEPT IN SMALL-DIAMETER HOLES.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • pp 22-23, 2 TAB
• Authors:
  • Maurer, W C
• Publication Date: 1968-6

Media Info

• Serial:
  • Canadian Pit and Quarry

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Drilling; Gases; Gneiss; Granite; Lasers; Marble; Output; Power; Rocks; Schist; Spalling
• Old TRIS Terms: Drilling methods; Gneisses
• Subject Areas: Energy; Geotechnology; Highways; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00219325
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 16 1994 12:00AM